Writing Samples - Sandi Jobe

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WINTER 2011

Philanthropy and service

he United States had not yet closed its first century when The WebbSchool was founded byWilliam R. “Sawney”Webb. This is the final

year of Webb’s fourteenth decade as anhonored southern preparatory school.Sawney Webb’s founding philosophies,perserved through the generations byadministration and faculty, encourage the development of students’ discipline,work ethic, accuracy of scholarship,honor, courtesy, and integrity; in oneword – character. Sawney philosophiesand Webb School’s traditions focus onpreservation of character while timescontinue to change rapidly in the rest ofthe world.

Sawney’s philosophies anchored theschool’s curriculum and administrationpolicies through changing times. Yeteach generation, and each class withineach generation, developed its owndistinct “voice” and set of Webb experiences. Webb’s alumni populationis relatively small; however, there isnothing “small” about Webb alumni interms of personality and impact.

Webb School 2009 maintains many ofthe Webb traditions that connect today’sWebb School with The Webb School of1870. Traditions such as declamation,trapping, the Honor Council, and stand-ing for adults have made each student’sWebb experience unique. Many othertraditions have not only survived the

decades and live on today but are thriv-ing with the energy of Webb students.

DECLAMATIONEach year Webb students are required tochoose a significant work of literature orspeech, memorize it, and recite it frommemory in front of the Webb studentbody in Chapel. Generations of alumnicredit this experience with teaching themboth the requisite nerve to speak in public under pressure and the importanceof thorough memorization for reliablerecall of information.

TRAPPINGSawney Webb initiated the practice of“Trapping.” Students were lined up andasked rapid-fire questions to test theirrecall of information on the fly. If a student did not know the answer and theboy next to him did, the boy with thecorrect answer would take the other’sspot in the line or “trap” him. It created acompetitive spirit between the studentsand gauged each student’s scholarship.According to Lawrence McMillen’s, The Schoolmaker, such competitive, fast-paced scrutiny taught Sawney’s students to “love excellence and to takepride in accuracy, without which all higher

“The purpose of a school is to develop characterand scholarship. Not either, but both.”

– William R. “Sawney” Webb, The Value and Dignity of Secondary Schools.

TWEBB SCHOOL

MISSION: "To turn out young

people who are tirelessworkers, and whoknow how to work

effectively; who areaccurate scholars;who know the finer

points of morals andwho practice them in

their daily living; whoare always courteous."

-- William R. “Sawney” Webb.

The Webb School Magazine 15

By Sandi Jobe ‘95

Alumni Connections

learning is limited and any genuine mastery impossible... Boys who had difficulties in their early years at BellBuckle would excel in their upper-schoolyears and even go on to take honors incollege.” L.R. Smith, a faculty memberand steward of Webb School traditions forover 30 years, continues the tradition oftrapping, typically in his normalclassroom, and occasionally in the newly-restored Junior Room, which is furnishedsimilar to Sawney’s and Son Will’s ownclassrooms. During a typical trappingsession, the answer “I don’t know” is notallowed: a student who does not know ananswer must quickly exclaim the word“Pharaoh”, in order to respectfully indicatethat while they are paying attention, theydo not know the answer to the question.The flip of a coin determines the next sideof the row to start the next session. Asthe rounds proceed, seating placementschange and each student’s knowledge and attentiveness is tested. Mr. Smithapproaches each trapping session with the same enthusiasm and respect for his students that he has displayed for the pastthirty years. Each session is anotheropportunity for the students to learn andgrow according to the precepts that TheWebb School was founded upon so manyyears ago.

STANDING FOR ADULTSThis gesture of respect for the teachersand other adults reinforces Webb students’ respect for their elders.Typically students rise when the teacher

or any other adult enters the classroom.Some alumni laughingly recall resistingthe urge to stand for the professor duringtheir first days at college, where such formalities were not required.

NOLI RES SUBDOLE FACERE“God made you different. I wouldn’t tryto be like other people, have hair cut like anybody else or wear clothes like anybody else…don’t be a me-too…youcan afford to be criticized – that don’tamount to a row of pins – but for heaven’ssake, don’t be a sneak. Don’t connectyourself with a thing that has to be hidden…don’t do things on the sly!” -Sawney Webb

Webb students and alumni have long beenknown for their wit, their unique sense ofhumor and irony, and their individuality.Sawney cherished and fostered this individuality but tailored it with a focuson discipline and a sense of honor, feelingthat true freedom is only possible withintegrity of thought and character.

THE HONOR COUNCILEvery living Webb Alumnus knows thehonor pledge. Each fall the studentHonor Council presides over the signingof the Honor Book by the entire studentbody. The Honor Council has a history asrich and varied as the experiences of thegenerations of students who called Webbhome.

The Honor Council presides over accusa-tions of Honor Offences: lying, cheating,stealing, plagiarism, and conspiracy (discussing Honor Council meetingdetails). According to faculty advisor tothe Honor Council for over 20 years, L.R.Smith, stories of intense interrogations,public announcements of disciplinarydemerits, and student-led expulsionsabound. “Surprisingly little has changedduring the time I have advised the HonorCouncil. Before my time the HonorCouncil was an utterly independent body.Through the 60’s and 70’s my understandingis that [the Honor Council] used to befairly aggressive in their methods of interrogation. Apparently the favorite timefor interrogation was the middle of thenight, and to my knowledge there was little or no adult presence in HonorCouncil meetings. From the late 70’s on,the Honor Council became a ‘kinder, gentler operation.’ The administrationdesired adult presence at the meetings forthe safety and objectivity of the council.Today, outside interests are very concerned about what goes on in disciplinary issues, and so there is a need for strict confidentiality.”

“I pledge my word of Honor as a

Webb Lady or Gentleman that I will neither Lie, Cheat, nor Steal.”

– WEBB SCHOOL HONOR PLEDGE.

“The will can develop the power of choice only by

choosing the rightwhen it is possible

to choose thewrong.”

– William R. “Sawney” Webb,

The Value and Dignity ofSecondary Schools

Winter 200916

Alumni Connections

Today the Honor Council is comprised offour seniors, three juniors, two sophomores, plus one freshman, eighthand seventh grader – these twelve members will hold their peers accountableto the Webb School Honor Code. TheHonor Council is nominated by free ballot in the spring: each classmate submits personal recommendations forthe next year’s Honor Council members.The students whose names are chosen bythe highest number of their peers areselected to administer their leadership,guidance, and recommendations for discipline of their peers during the following school year. The positions ofPresident, Vice President, Secretary, andSergeant at Arms are assigned to the senior members of the council by theother members of the newly chosenHonor Council. Elizabeth Moss, HonorCouncil President for the 2008-2009school year, explained the Honor Councilguidelines, positions, and provided clarification of an occasional misperceptionthat the Honor Council enjoys adminis-tering discipline and making an exampleof students. “We get an image as thepeople who punish, but we’d rather noteven have meetings, we’d rather peopledo the right things.”

The President of the Honor Council presides over each meeting. The VicePresident presides in the President’sabsence and also administers the mandatorypost-meeting essay to all offendersbrought before the Council. TheSecretary takes meeting minutes andessential notes for Council deliberation,and the Sergeant at Arms notifies the

Council when an accusation is madeagainst a student. Honor offense accusations are typically brought tocouncil by a faculty member, at whichpoint the Faculty Advisor to the Councilnotifies the accused student’s parents andfaculty advisor.

The council, with faculty advisor present,listens to the accusation and questionsthe accused student, listens to the student’s side, and provides advice orcouncil about their actions. Any additional offenders for the same incidentare typically tried separately. The councildeliberates and recommends discipline(demerits) based on the circumstancesand severity of the offence. “If anyone[on the Honor Council] suggests thehighest number of demerits, we alwaysdeliberate the appropriate number ofdemerits to assign.” Cheating and plagiarism are the top offenses today,according to Moss, and the disciplineranges from 1-5 demerits, depending onseverity and circumstance of the offense.Any discussion of an Honor Councilmeeting by an accused student or witnessis cause for a second charge of conspiracy.

The primary difference in today’s systemis in the assignment of discipline: if theaccused student is found guilty of thehonor offense, the Head of School mustapprove the recommended number ofdemerits assigned by the Council. TheDean of Students handles all offensesoutside the Honor offenses.

“Webb graduates had been chieflyresponsible for Princeton’s Honor code,which became known as The PrincetonSystem” – Laurence McMillen, The Schoolmaker.

The traditions described here certainly donot represent all surviving traditions; ifyou have a tradition or experience thatyou would like to share, please call,write, or email us at [email protected].

OTHER SURVIVING

WEBB TRADITIONS

SENIOR BLAZERS

"YOU MAY HAVETHE DAY"

ADVISEE LUNCH

PREFECTS

INTEGER VITAE

WINTER FREEZE

SENIOR SURVIVAL

HOLDING CLASSOUTSIDE

UNDER THE TREES


Alumni Connections

Winter 2011

17

The Webb School Theatre program was invited to participate in the internationally acclaimed American High School Theatre Festival at The Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2011. Select members of the Webb Company Players are already preparing to showcase their talents at this “biggest arts festival in the world,” and donors are stepping up to support them.

Leading in this effort is philanthropist, member of Webb’s Legacy Donor Society and Emeritus Trustee Jim Meadows ‘52.

Commenting on his reason for supporting the Scotland trip at the highest level, Meadows

said, “I’m impressed by the tremendous accomplishment of Webb’s theatre program in being nominated to perform in Scotland. I think that anything that exposes our kids to what’s going on in the world outside the Webb Community and the United States is beneficial. I like to give to empower people who have achieved something and who aspire to continued excellence.”

A total of 12 Webb students and three teachers will travel to Scotland for the performing arts festival. The price tag per person is roughly $6,000, which includes travel, lodging, and related costs (total of $90,000). Meadows’ leadership gift and those of other sponsors will fund approximately $40,000 of these expenses, with the remaining funds coming from the participants, their families and fundraising activities.

The AHSTF annually hosts high school students from across the nation at The Fringe. High school programs are nominated to apply each year based upon their body of work, curricula, awards, philosophies, community involvement and reputation. The competitive process results in less than 50 invitations to highly qualified high school theatre programs.

“This experience will catapult our students to a higher level of performance in a matter of 15 days,” said Webb Theatre Director Ruth Cordell. “It’s a sink or swim time. You have two hours to load your show in, do it and get out. You have to behave like a professional. … This is not some little summer camp, this is as good as it gets.”

The Webb Theatre team will perform four times during their two-week stay in Scotland. They will also tour the area’s historic and cultural sites, participate in a workshop at The Globe Theatre in London, and have access to up to 2,600 professional theatre productions, as well as those performed by other AHSTF-selected high schools.

“The greatest lessons in school are not necessarily learned in the classroom,” Cordell said. “This is a perfect example of that. The Fringe Festival is the ultimate learning ground for prospective theatre professionals.”

Meadows is no stranger to philanthropy at Webb. A graduate of Yale and Cambridge universities, he served one term as president of the Webb Alumni Association’s Board of Directors before joining The Webb School Board of Trustees in 1982, and quickly assuming a leadership role in the governance of the school. While serving on the Board, his contributions of time and talent were instrumental to the success of a capital funds campaign, which was co-chaired by fellow trustees Wayne Rogers and George Huddleston, Sr.; the campaign culminated in significant growth to Webb’s endowment and the construction of the Austin Davis - Bryant Woosley Science Building. Meadows was elected chairman of Webb’s Board of Trustees in 1988 and served until 1994.

During his tenure as chairman, he led the campaign that resulted in the construction of the Bond Library and the Student Center. In 1994 he was inducted into Webb’s Distinguished Alumni Society, which recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers and through service to Webb. He is credited by many with initiating the endowment management

strategy currently followed at Webb, which has resulted in financial strength for the school, as well as budget flexibility.

Meadows continues to support the Webb Fund, which provides a “hidden scholarship” of operating dollars for Webb students each year, and has donated at a leadership level to various building and endowment campaigns throughout Webb’s history.

“I have always believed in academic excellence,” Meadows said. “A significant part of my giving has been to schools. My own education was made possible by others, and it has opened avenues to me that would not have opened otherwise. I want to provide those same opportunities to others.”

A former officer in the United States Army Engineers, Meadows is the owner and CEO of a specialized printing plate manufacturer, Dixie Graphics of Nashville, Tenn.

Cordell is coordinating efforts to raise the additional funds needed with the assistance of Head of School Ray Broadhead and the Alumni and Development Office. Sponsorships are still needed. To contribute to the Webb Thespian Fund supporting The Fringe experience, please visit Webb’s online giving page https://www.thewebbschool.com/alumni/online-giving.aspx and specify the gift as support for Webb Theatre at The Fringe.

Jim Meadows ‘52 leads by examplePROFILE IN GIVING

By Sandi Jobe ‘95Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

Members of the Webb Company Players portray mutes in the spring 2010 production of ‘The Fantasticks.’

Jim Meadows ‘52

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The Webb School has a history of producing service-minded alumni. The school’s focus on community involvement and support resonates with students, who often take what they learn at Webb and use it to improve their towns and cities – and the world. Mary Hord, Class of 1990, is a prime example.

Hord impacts the world through her leadership and involvement with three Middle Tennessee non-profits. Committed to improving both human and animal welfare, she is the Executive Director of the Tennessee Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Foundation, the founder and president of the animal rescue organization Almost Home of Rutherford County, and the lead coordinator of Tennessee Reaching Equines in Need (REIN), a new nonprofit equine welfare organization (www.tnrein.com).

“I think it takes a combination of compassion and strong business sense to lead a nonprofit,” said Hord of her success in the field. “Lots of very motivated and compassionate people forget the business side of the equation, but without successful fundraisers, donor solicitations, and grant writing, a non-profit will quickly drown in debt.”

A member of Webb’s Ancient Guard, Hord attended Webb for six years (from seventh through 12th-grade). During her senior year at Webb, she served on the Honor Council, the Senior Class Council, and was a member of the National Honors Society and the Cum Laude Society. Hord went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Management from Eckerd College in Florida and a Master of Science degree in Applied Economics from Texas A&M. More than a decade of experience in medical sales exposed

Hord to the needs in human healthcare and medicine. Still, her passion for animals that began as a child on her family’s Murfreesboro farm, Elmwood (a Hord Family-operated farm since 1842), never faded.

“My commitment to animal welfare really began with my Dad,” she said. “He was always rescuing strays and bringing them home to the farm.”

She added, “We all like animals, but I think I’ve always taken that ‘like’ a little further than my siblings.”

Hord’s lifelong love of four-legged creatures took a professional turn in 2004, when she organized and founded Almost Home of Rutherford County (www.almosthomerutherford.com), a large-breed dog and horse rescue program.


Mary Hord ‘90 with Almost Home friend, ‘Shirley Lane.’

Working to improve lives of animals, humans through involvement with three nonprofits

HORD mary

Class of 1990

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According to Hord, the nonprofit was a natural extension of her volunteer work for the Animal Relief Fund (ARF) in Williamson County, Tenn. She began assisting ARF after adopting a Great Dane in 2002 and learning herself of the special challenges large breeds present, and the need for adoption services.

“As I became more and more entrenched in the animal welfare community, it was natural for me to want to help in my own backyard,” she said. “The Rutherford County (animal) shelter needed help, and still does. Our euthanasia rates are staggering. So it was a natural evolution for me to expand ARF into Rutherford County, and then to branch out on my own.”

A nonprofit volunteer-driven organization, in the past eight years Almost Home has rescued and re-homed approximately 1,000 dogs, and occasionally paid for veterinary care in dire circumstances. Adoption fees only fund about 30 percent of the average cost of rescuing an animal, leaving Almost Home to rely heavily on private contributions.

“It’s a tough balance,” she said, referring to the financial side of running a nonprofit. “Some think I’m too driven by my heart; for example, when Almost Home has huge unpaid vet bills and I accept another challenging horse or a very sick dog. And, some fault me for being tough on the bottom line. I guess it depends on which hat I am wearing that day and if [my goals] coincide or conflict with theirs.”

Regarding her newest nonprofit endeavor, Tennessee REIN, Hord said it likewise developed from a community need – which in this case came to light during the recent recession. The organization’s mission is to provide short-term help, such as hay or feed, to owners who experience a natural or financial disaster.

While her name may be more synonymous with animal welfare, Hord is acutely interested in helping her human counterparts as well. Since April 2010, she has been spending the bulk of her time doing just that as Executive Director of the Tennessee Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Foundation (THBDF).

“I was honored to be offered this extraordinary new opportunity to help people,” she said. “THBDF’s annual budget is around 10 times the budget

of Almost Home, but I still see so many opportunities to apply skills and learning opportunities from one (organization) to another.”

Hord’s skills, background and passion for helping others combine perfectly in this new role.

“The Hemophilia Foundation has allowed me to take several years of successful medical sales experience and use it for a more purposeful end,” she said. “It’s nice for me to know that I am using my sales background for more than just a large profit-driven corporation.”

The THBD Foundation provides programs and services, education and financial assistance to meet needs and increase awareness of individuals and families affected by bleeding disorders (www.thbdf.org/).

“The most rewarding and motivating aspect of working in the hemophilia community has been watching our older constituents really step up and offer their mentorship to the children and teens we serve … they really offer so much in the way of support to our kids. That’s inspiring to me,” Hord said.

According to the Murfreesboro native, many of the basic values that have shaped her life choices and work were formed through interactions with family and during her six years at The Webb School.

“A lot of the core beliefs that are taught at Webb – the honor pledge, ‘Integer Vitae,’ and the motto ‘Noli Res Subdole Facere’ – are really pretty basic life tenets, and following these core principles can be a guiding point in so many aspects of our lives and our interactions with others.

“I guess I have been fortunate to see so many positive role models of these principles in my life, from my grandparents, my parents, other family members, and the Webb community. I wish others had role models like those.”

“We all like animals, but I think I’ve always taken that ‘like’ a little

further than my siblings.”

The Webb School is a family tradition for the Hord family of Murfreesboro. Mary Hord, a member of the class of 1990, is one of four siblings who graduated from Webb. Her older sister, Joy, graduated in 1988, and served on The Webb School Board of Trustees from 2008-2010; Mary’s younger brothers, Charles and Epps, graduated in 1992 and 1997 respectively.

Preceding the Hord siblings at Webb was their great-grandfather, Thomas Epps Hord, who attended under the tutelage of founder and Headmaster W.R. “Sawney” Webb at the school’s first location in Culleoka, Tenn. The family still has a copy of their ancestor’s handwritten diploma, dated 1884 and signed by Sawney Webb and his brother and Co-Principal John Webb. The Hord’s heritage at Webb doesn’t stop there. Mary Hord’s second cousin, Eldridge “Tuck” Hord, is a 1977 alumnus.

According to Mary, the lessons she learned at Webb impacted her and her siblings and continue to do so. Webb’s Honor Code, in particular, which asks students to pledge “on their honor” not to lie, cheat or steal, left a lasting impression.

“Epps (my youngest brother) and I both served as Honor Council President during our senior years. We sometimes reflect back on those days in relation to current events. Lots of lessons about honor and accountability to your peers there,” she said.

One memory of her time at Webb stands out clearly from the rest.

“I will never forget the day, in my senior year, when Mr. (Imre) Lagler called me into his classroom, along with several other classmates,” Mary Hord said. “I hadn’t been his student since I finished Latin III as a sophomore. The purpose of this meeting - to give me a ‘lash’ [Mr. Lagler’s favorite and famed form of personal classroom discipline], since apparently my classmates shared with him that I had never received one in my six years at Webb.

I was none too happy about it, but looking back, it was a dose of humility. Mr. Lagler was really good at that - teaching humility and appreciation for all the blessings in our lives. He was a great teacher of Latin, but more than that, he was a great teacher of life.”

Webb, a Hord family tradition

t is likely that the impact of someone’s gift toWebb made an impact on you, a family mem-ber, or a friend by supporting Webb’s mission,philosophies, methods of instruction and opera-tion, scholarship, or perhaps the construction,repair, or maintenance of a building. It is possi-

ble for everyone to make a similar gift to benefit future Webbstudents.

The Webb Fund budgeted goal is $600,000 for this 2008-2009school year, which represents almost 8% of the overall operatingbudget. Sometimes Webb alumni, family, and friends don’tunderstand why the school needs their support, what gift amountis appropriate and “worthy”, or how gifts are used to fund theschool’s success. Annual participation in giving to The WebbFund is increasing – that pace must continue in order to meetWebb’s long-term financial goals.

n 1870, tuition for a 20-week session in SawneyWebb’s school inCulleoka cost $25, and

board was $12 a month. In 1886,Webb’s school moved fromCulleoka to Bell Buckle, where,according to Laurence McMillan’sThe Schoolmaker “a joint stockcompany of citizens raised $12,000– a small fortune in those days.” Of this sum, $2,200 was used to construct a new schoolhouse;Sawney’s brother “Gentle John”Webb selected $8,000 in books and$400 was used to construct a building to hold them. A portion ofthe remaining $1,200 was used inapproximately the same way as theWebb Fund today – to make endsmeet for unobstructed operation ofthe school.

Additional gifts were madethroughout the 20th Century to

support Webb’s mission. Gifts ofall sizes from alumni, parents, faculty, and other patrons began toaugment the school’s financialresources. This growth addedbuildings, such as the WilliamBond Library and the BartonAthletic Center. Additional giftsrefurbished buildings like theLundin Fine Arts Center and the“Old” Library; and expandedschool programs like Outerlimits,Fine Arts, and Applied Sciences.In the 1990’s and early 2000’sWebb’s endowment experienced thelargest amount of growth fromgifts in the history of the school.Independent schools like Webbwithdraw a portion of investedendowment funds annually to sup-plement annual budgets and supplyscholarships to deserving students.In 2008-2009 Webb’s endowmentsupplied over $1M in scholarshipsto deserving students.

A LEGACY OF GIVING

THE WEBB FUND

A SHORT HISTORY OFGIFTS TO WEBB

I

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Legacy of Giving

ebb’s cherished traditions are familiarto Webb Alumni,Parents, and current

students: they are gifts handeddown from each generation to thenext. The gifts from Webb familyand friends are also working visiblyall over campus today in the formof physical improvements, restora-tions, and refurbishments to build-ings and grounds. The less visibleapplications of recent Webb Fundgifts of all sizes, unrestricted andrestricted, have made an incredibleimpact on Webb’s curriculum and administrative operations. So much more is possible with the support of Webb’s alumni,family, and friends.

Gifts to the Webb Fund are termed“annual” giving because repeatedgifts are required to balance thebudget each year. UnrestrictedAnnual Fund Gifts supplement thebudget for school programs, activ-ities, supplies, emergency expens-es, everyday bills, wherever theyare most needed. Gifts can alsobe “restricted” by the donor –legally bound to fund a specificprogram or purpose that is speci-fied by the donor. Gifts can alsobe made to Webb’s endowmentfunds which fund scholarships orcapital funds and supportimprovements around campus.

ost recently,growth inWebb’s AnnualGiving allowed

Webb to increase funding toschool programs and implement a new pay scaleand raise faculty salaries5%, on average. 2008-2009Funding Priorities includeMerit Scholarships, PhysicalPlant Improvements,Faculty Compensation, andadditional Annual Fund program growth.

The most important aspectof the Webb Fund is partici-pation: make a gift and

show your support!Unrestricted gifts are mostflexible for Webb, but if youwish to support a specificprogram you can restrictyour gift by telling Webbhow you want it to be used.If you have questions abouthow your gifts are appliedplease call the developmentoffice or email us [email protected].

We are happy to answer anyquestions you may haveabout supporting the mis-sion of the Webb Schoolinto the 21st century.

THE “HIDDEN SCHOLARSHIP” Many independent schools term the gifts made to their Annualfunds the “hidden scholarship” – gifts add up to fill the budgetgap that tuition doesn’t cover each year. Annual gifts, no matterthe size, provide essential, consistent cash flow, while tuitioncomes in “lumps.” When the fund is reliably replenished by giftsof a consistent size made repeatedly each year, the Webb Fundfacilitates planning for the future of the school without relying onraising tuition.

A LEGACY OF GIVING

THE WEBB FUND

YOUR GIFTS AT WORK

THE 21ST CENTURYWEBB FUND

W

M

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Tuition & Fees $5.8M

Income from

gifts $.78M

Endowment Allocation $1.1M

Legacy of Giving

EntertainmentOuterlimits travel Sawney yearbookOracle newspaperResidential life ActivitiesChemicals for Chemistry LabsMaterials for Biology LabsProfessional developmentExpenses for athletic teamsMaterials for theater sets

Paint and ClayTravelEquipmentUniformsArt SuppliesSheet MusicSubscriptionsGuest Lecturers Online Services Webb Magazine

WEBB FUND PAYS FOR:

CALL 931.389.5722 TO MAKE A GIFT

HOW TO MAKE A GIFT

MAKE A GIFT ONLINEwww.thewebbschool.com/alumni/give_online.asp

TYPE OF GIFTSEndowment

CapitalAnnual Restricted

Annual UnrestrictedEstate Gifts

MAIL A GIFT TO:The Webb Fund

P.O. Box 488Bell Buckle, TN 37020

Winter 2011 - 2012

27

As soon as he read Webb’s announcement about a new emergency warning siren atop the Follin

Administration Building, Paul Martin ’88 stepped forward and offered to sponsor the project with a gift. “It will help out the school plus give me bragging rights to my classmates that when danger threatens the campus, I am participating in it,” Martin said.

Martin is a lawyer and a lobbyist for State Farm; he recently published a book, Bracing for Impact: A Practical Guide to Preparing for Disasters.

“I start Chapter 2 with a story about a teacher I had in high school, who would always tell us ‘those who sweat in practice don’t bleed in battle,’” Martin said. “That teacher was L.R. Smith.”

Martin’s gift will essentially replace the funding that was budgeted for the project, freeing those dollars to meet another critical need on campus.

“When I first read the story about the warning system at Webb,” Martin said, “I instantly had this mental image of L.R. Smith and Larry Nichols trying to herd kids into the Big Room in an emergency situation. And yeah, I thought that was a pretty funny image to think about.”

“While I laugh about it, it’s certainly a real possibility. We live in a much different world than when (I was a student). The kids at Webb now attend school in an era when school shootings such as Columbine and Virginia Tech sadly make our headlines. It made me really happy the Webb community decided to take the kind of proactive steps which help manage the risks our school faces.”

“Most of the dangers (the class of 1988) faced were self-inflicted, fueled by our strongly held belief that we were immortal, and our amazing creativity. But we didn’t face the kinds of risks back then that the current students face now.”

“I know it’s a quirky thing to sponsor,” Martin said, “but unlike any other asset at Webb, when that siren sounds, it impacts everyone on campus – and hopefully helps keep them safe.”

Gifts to Webb are very helpful: each year’s income is carefully budgeted to come from one of three primary sources: tuition, endowment income, and new gifts. New gifts make up almost 10 percent of the annual budget; most new gifts are not restricted by donors so that they can be used wherever they are most needed during that year. “Designated gifts” can also supplement critical needs and fulfill a donor’s wishes.

“What is most unusual and wonderful about Paul’s gift is that he spotted an opportunity to support a Webb project that is meaningful to him, personally, and followed through,” said Ray Broadhead, head of school.

Martin urges his fellow alumni to consider giving in a similar way. “I would encourage every alum to find something at Webb they are passionate about – whether it be the English Department, the library, the football team, or the siren on top of the building – whatever. Then ‘take a hand in the game’ so to speak and support it, not just financially, but with your time and your interest as well.”

“If you haven’t been back to campus in a few years, you really owe it to yourself to go,” Martin added. “The alumni magazine, while well written, doesn’t do it justice – there are a lot of great things happening at Webb, all of which make me proud to be an alum.”

Paul Martin ’88 sponsors emergency warning system By Sandi Jobe ‘95Director of alumni Relations and annual giving

Winter 2011 - 2012

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Developing the Promise

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Setting the stageRehfeldt remembers his Webb experience as a challenging, character-building time. “I chose Webb because I liked the atmosphere, the campus, and the outdoor program,” he said. “I would say that more than anything else, Lee Gillis and the Outerlimits program he started taught me that if I challenged myself there was no limit to what was possible. The simple act of standing on the ground and looking up into a 40-foot tree and thinking there was no way I could climb to the top of it… and once I did climb to the top of it, thinking there was no way I could reach out for the rope and take a step, but I did...that was an incredible experience.”

“I later found in my career that there were many times when I was standing in a place and it was uncertain and uncomfortable, but opportunities appeared, and I reached out and took them,” he said.

“Eddie was the senior class president, and really, there wasn’t any other choice – he was a natural leader, and we all recognized it,” said Drew Carrington, a classmate of the class of 1983. “My favorite idea of his was our big fund raiser for our senior project – to sell [Kentucky] fried chicken at the Arts and Crafts Fair. We ended up raising something like $5,000 bucks, carpeted the old library, and had cash left over. And it was two months before my car didn’t smell like fried chicken.”

Rehfeldt credits Webb with another role in his future success. “Because of the connections to my Webb classmates, I was able to ‘go do it,’” Rehfeldt said. “I can tie it back to Wayne Rogers and the impact he had when he came back to campus. When I moved to Los Angeles I called Wayne, and he didn’t even hesitate to have lunch with me. A Webb alum was there for me in a new place and at a new place in our career.”

Unexpected opportunitiesRehfeldt graduated and went on to Franklin College in Switzerland where he studied Economics and traveled extensively throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union. During these travels, his Webb Outerlimits experience came in handy: he climbed the ancient Roman “Strada Alta” – roads from Italy to Germany which include 18 peaks above 18,000 feet.

Rehfeldt’s very first steps into his creative career began with a role as stage manager for his mother’s ballet company. When he returned from Europe, Eddie branched out into film and television production in Nashville working on iconic music videos like Hank Williams’ “All My Rowdy Friends” and commercials with Jim Varney who famously made the Ernest catchphrase “KnowhutImean?” legendary. These commercials were his doorway into feature film. Eddie had the opportunity to work on Varney’s first film, “Ernest Goes to Camp.” This quickly led to his work on “At Close Range,” where he struck up his lifelong friendship with Kiefer Sutherland. Eddie found work in New York as a location manager and production coordinator. An exciting “unexpected” opportunity arose after supporting Martin Scorsese while he directed the Michael Jackson music video “Bad”: Scorsese hired Rehfeldt as an assistant. After a couple of years in this position, Scorsese would later write him a recommendation to his alma mater New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where Eddie studied film and television production and cinema studies.

After graduating from NYU, Rehfeldt moved to Los Angeles and returned to film production just as the music video industry was peaking. “I was there when British Pop happened and early hip-hop dawned. I witnessed the death of big hair bands and had a front row seat to the explosion of the grunge scene in Seattle. It was all about being open and prepared for the unexpected.” Rehfeldt became an MTV Video Music Award-winning producer of genre-breaking music videos for Pearl Jam, Cypress Hill, and A Tribe Called Quest.

In 1997, Rehfeldt wrote, directed and premiered his own film titled “After” at the Sundance Film Festival. It was at the festival that the next unexpected opportunity arose. “I was offered a job at Microsoft to work on a new product – MSN,” he said. “When MSN started and they were focused on new music, I had deep relationships inside the record labels.” Eventually Eddie led media production efforts for Music Central, Cinemania and Sidewalk.

At Microsoft, Rehfeldt was one of the first executive producers hired to run production at their new facility, Microsoft Studios. “At Studios we created the code that allowed the first movies to

UnexpectedEddie Rehfeldt ’83 creates his way into a high-profile career

“One of the best things I learned from my Webb education

was ‘if I want to do something, I’m just gonna go do it.'”

And he dId.

Looking for the

By Sandi Jobe ‘95Director of alumni Relations and annual giving

Winter 2011 - 2012

15

A. Mary Kathryn Menck and Caroline Smith congratulate each other.

B. From left: Tyler Lewis, Helen Bartlett, Matt Steele, Leanne Fouts, and Jared Betts.

be streamed on the Internet that made the movie ‘Avatar’ possible,” he said. “I had some wonderful experiences — from dressing up Bill Gates as Harry Potter (humor video for CES keynote) to executive producing a massive list of videos for the first Xbox launch. While at Microsoft, he worked with directors and producers such as Steven Spielberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, John Wells and Michael Bay. Rehfeldt supported director James Cameron in the development of a digital road map of high-definition stereographic production for the Oscar-winning film, “Avatar.”

Creating an “unexpected” legacyRehfeldt left as a eight-year veteran of Microsoft Corp. He is currently the vice president of Waggoner Edstrom Worldwide’s Studio D Experience Design practice. His firm just won “Digital PR Firm of the Year.” His unexpected opportunities kept him busy; so busy, in fact, that he realized that he was missing something.

“There are things in our lives that we put on hold. In my case, it was being a father,” he said. With the birth of his children, that changed: Rehfeldt wrote a book based on his blog about fatherhood, called Road to Manhood. Both describe how fatherhood enriches his life as he seeks to teach his children how to “look for the unexpected.” Rehfeldt also teaches and mentors aspiring filmmakers. “The creative process is elusive for some people and available to others,” he said. “I have a lecture about looking for the unexpected and trying to prepare yourself to be as ‘present’ as you can be, so that you can be moved and open to what is possible.”

Speaking about his perspective on creativity in secondary education, Rehfeldt feels that a school’s programs should focus on developing the entire individual through academics, athletics, and creative abilities.

“My personal belief is that if you look at educational systems around the world, the schools with well-rounded programs produce well-rounded students who are more adapted to what they need to do to be successful in life,” he said. “The school must develop the whole student.”

Rehfeldt thinks that Webb’s traditional emphasis on character, integrity, and independence is complementary to creative thinking. “Integrity and character are fused in the creative process,” he said. “One definition of integrity is the state of being complete and undivided. That sense of completeness affects everything.”

“Every being has creativity; when someone connects to their creative point of view and is true to it, with integrity, they can express a much stronger sense of self, and that is character.”

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By Sandi Jobe ‘95Director of alumni Relations and annual giving

The introduction to the 1964 Sawney

yearbook reads: “The Class of 1964 has witnessed many physical changes in Webb School during the last 4 years. Yet, amidst this physical metamorphosis, the standards of honor and dignity have not been altered. As many graduates under “Sawney” Webb would not recognize the Webb School of 1964, many of this year’s graduates will not recognize the Webb School of 1980. The Sawney for 1964 will attempt to capture the past and the future Webb School as it presents a cross section of the present life at Webb. Possibly by reviewing the past before it fades away and by previewing the future, the Sawney may act as a link which will tie these three Webb Schools closer together.”

“Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com”

On Christmas Day 1958, young Charles Williams pulled the deed to 90 acres from a long unnoticed envelope beside the Christmas tree: a gift from his grandfather, Charles B. Dowling. Forty-seven years after his Webb graduation commencement in 1964, Williams’ true passion remains for a childhood gift, West Wind Farm, which he calls home today.

As a Webb senior, Williams served as president of the Honor Council (he was also head of the Honor Council at Duke), a prefect, was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by his classmates, and was assistant editor to the 1964 Sawney yearbook. Williams’ higher education took place at Duke University and the University of Kentucky College of Law, followed by a successful law career. Williams is an award-winning conservationist and a published author and poet.

An independent thinkerIn Williams’ book A History of West Wind Farm, he self-deprecatingly describes himself as “such an independent-minded client that it’s amazing the Kentucky Division of Forestry will even take my calls, but I can learn, and they seem to like that about me. My mind is never closed.”

“For many years after college, I was what forestry people call ‘a tree hugger.’ I did not want to cut one tree from anything I owned. But then, over time, I saw with my own eyes the folly of that practice. The old stands of Chestnut oak had become riddled by wind and disease. The root-wadded trees were everywhere. The neglect that I was inflicting on the forest by my strong-headed idea of environmentalism had produced bad results.”

An award-winning conservationistAs a conservationist woodsman, Williams is a practitioner of “salvage harvesting” and “bottom

Charles Dowling Williams ’64: Lawyer, Poet, Conservationist

plantingPromises for the Future

Winter 2011 - 2012

17

Upon Discovering that the Daffodils had Taken Leave Without a WordI do not know the way back to the gate.

I know the way the daffodils have come.

Creeping, exploding through green-ridden winter,the mystery-driven face, this force that moves me even on my way.

Odd, that it should take me to a gate,the way I watched the daffodils leave last Spring,processions of an April afternoon, unspoken riddles from another tongue.

2 April 1971Cane Run Creek Horsetail Pines(Causarina Equisetifolia)

Horsetail pines whinny in the winds,busy with stillness – not being still.

Horsetail pines prancingin blue breeze,Pacific whispering – “kaintuckee!”

Horsetail pines neighing through the nightPacific moon beckoning – Freedom!

Horsetail pines flyinglike a clipperin Hawaiian winds – Pegasus!

16 May 1980Maui

grading” forestry: cutting out the weather-damaged, insect-infested, deformed, or diseased trees from around their healthy comrades. When these compromised trees are allowed to remain in the forest, they attract insects and harbor additional disease, which eventually contaminates the surrounding woods.

“Mother nature is quite exploitative of any niche that becomes available,” says Williams. “Some insects such as the Southern Pine Beetle and the Emerald Ash Bore are taking

up residence in Kentucky because the climate is no longer inhospitable. Forestry can’t be practiced today as it was in the past: global warming,

ice damage, and more frequent almost tornadic windstorms cause additional problems, which require ‘salvage harvest’ – a more

time-consuming but healthier operation long-term.”

Williams was awarded the 2011 Good Steward Award by the Arbor Day Foundation. Past awards include the Tom Wallace Forestry Award for Kentucky and Indiana in 2005, the Kentucky Outstanding Forestry Steward Award for 2006, Kentucky Tree Farmer of the Year for 2006, the Kentucky Woodland Owners Award for “outstanding Silviculture practices for 2006,” and Hart County Kentucky’s Farm Services Agency’s Award “for outstanding accomplishments in the

field of forestry” for 2007. Williams was also a top nominee for American Tree Farmer of the Year in 2010 and 2011.

Planting promises for the future

The decade of the 1960s was a turbulent time for Webb, as it was for many boarding schools of that era. Williams remembers

planting trees on Webb’s campus with other students, under the direction of Headmaster Henry Whiteside, who commonly led discipline-

related student work crew activities. Perhaps unlike some of his classmates, Williams enjoyed working with the young trees: he had worked on his family’s farms as a child.

The trees he planted with his classmates now tower over today’s students in silent remembrance of the many intervening years. The lens of his love for the practice of forest conservation and his own woodland farm colored Williams’ life.

Williams recently took time away from his Kentucky law practice and farm to visit the Webb Campus in April 2010 to visit the “young” trees that he planted in 1964 with his classmates and speak to the Webb student body about his forestry practices. He brought a collection of young dogwoods for today’s students to plant around campus.

“I was a student at Webb when I started planting trees by bundles of a thousand,” he said.

or decades The WebbSchool and the Office ofAlumni & Developmenthave accumulated pictures, mementos, artifacts, and documents,

which are all integral to preservingWebb’s unique heritage. For many yearsthe school stored these items in closets

and cabinets in vari-ous locationsaround campusas well as in theAlumni &

DevelopmentOffice. Some of

these historically signifi-cant items were on display

for a short while in theJunior Room.

In summer 2008 the headquarters of The Webb

School Office of Alumni &Development moved out

of the old A&D Office. Moving all of theaccumulated historical materials out ofthe old house presented the opportunity tofocus on properly preserving, archiving,displaying, and sharing these incrediblepieces of Webb and Middle TennesseeHistory with our family, friends, and community.

THE WEBB LEGACYPRESERVATION PROJECTDuring summer 2008, the surviving familyof the late G. Webb Follin, an extremelyinfluential Webb faculty member and previous head of school, generously donat-ed several boxes of Mr. Follin’s personalnotes, documents, and poems to TheWebb School. As a Webb graduate of theclass of 1908, a teacher, and a Webbadministrator for almost 40 years, Mr.Follin left an indelible mark on the school’shistory and its culture.

In order to preserve Webb’s historicalmaterials, a committee of Webb parents,

employees and students quickly formed.Webb parent and WSPA President DonnaScarlett, Webb parent Mary Moss (whobecame the chair of the committee), andDirector of Publications GayleMcClanahan initiated a special commit-tee, assisted by Director of Alumni &Development Michael Morgan ’94 andWebb Librarian Hannah Little. The committee’s mission was to create fundingand a strategy for preserving the “buriedtreasure” that was hidden in Webb’s closets.The committee consulted a friend fromthe Tennessee Society for HistoricalPreservation in order to fully understandthe equipment and technology necessaryand appropriate to archive Webb’s uniquematerials and photos. Because storagequality and space were limited there wasa need to begin action immediately.Karen Linton ‘07 and summer studentintern Erin McMahon ‘09, spent severalhours in the library each week scanning,saving, and cataloging photos and docu-ments one by one.

F

Winter 200918

By Sandi Jobe ‘95

Alumni Connections

HISTORY IN THE CLOSETS

In early fall of 2008, the committeeexpanded and attracted the personalattention of Susie Webb Ries (great-granddaughter of school founder SawneyWebb), Cecil Irvin ’75, former Webbfaculty member Glenn Holliman, andBoard of Trustees Chair, Phil Coop ’66.Soon the Webb Legacy PreservationProject was officially underway. At theWebb Board of Trustees meeting inNovember 2008, a motion waspassed to allocate funds to TheWebb LegacyPreservation Projectfrom a generous sus-pended gift made byRusty Vest ‘72 for thepurpose of funding equip-ment, labor, and technologyappropriate to the scope of theproject’s needs.

THE EMMA WEBBSOCIETYStudent Erin McMahon ’09, sponsoredby Webb Librarian Hannah Little andDirector of Publications GayleMcClanahan, coordinated The EmmaWebb Society -- a student club to assistwith the Webb Legacy Project. The pur-pose of the Emma Webb Society as out-lined in its mission statement is to “pre-serve the history and legacy of TheWebb School through archives, memora-bilia, and ephemera in the spirit ofSawney’s wife, Emma Webb.”

Involving students in the archivingprocess will have a

tremendous long-term impact by feedingstudent understanding about the heritageof the Webb School, which makes taking care of Webb’s memori-abilia a tradition they willtake with themwhen they

graduate.The society

will consist of 2students from each

grade, 9-12, who willmeet weekly and spend 2-3

hours per week on tasks relat-ed to the Emma Webb Society’s

mission.

PRESERVING THE LEGACYIn addition to the Emma WebbSociety’s activities, an exten-sion of Webb’s efforts topreserve and dis-play its historyis already

under-way. Friend

of Webb SamDalton is conduct-

ing and producingvideo interviews with

prominent alumni. Long-term, these interviews can be

digitally stored and shared withfuture generations of Webb

students, interested outsiders, and historians. Matching grant dollars willbe pursued to assist with providing thefinancial support needed for a project ofthis magnitude.

If you’re interested in assisting with theWebb Legacy Preservation Project bydonating funds, time, or professionalservices, please email [email protected].


Alumni Connections

his year Webb wel-comes fourteenalumni home toserve our studentsand extended fami-ly on the Faculty

and Staff. These alumni attended

Webb during times that span adecade. They have extremelydiverse backgrounds, personalities,and personal interests, but a com-mon thread connects them: theyknow Webb, they returned to Webb,and they each contribute daily to

preparing “young people who aretireless workers, and who know howto work effectively; who know thefiner points of morals and who prac-tice them in their daily living; whoare always courteous.” – SawneyWebb

Adam is a Bell Buckle area native whoattended Webb for 6 years (Ancient Guard).As a student, Adam was very active in Webbathletics, theater, Outerlimits, and was voted“Most Artistic” Senior. Adam received hisBachelor of Science in Concrete IndustryManagement from Middle Tennessee StateUniversity. Before becoming a Webbemployee, Adam assisted Webb with severalcampus beautification projects, including thedesign and placement of Sawney Webbquotes into the facades of several belovedbuildings. Adam returned to Webb as

Physical Plant Manager in July 2008.Adam’s return to Webb literally impacted theentire Webb campus: his team’s efforts con-tinue to transform the appearance, safety, andusability of our grounds and facilities. Whenhe is not digging ditches, mending fences,and crawling into tight spaces, Adam enjoysspending time with daughter Anna and sonWill. Adam is married to Lizzy NemethMorgan ’92, sister of Luke ’96 and Mischa’98 Nemeth. Adam is the younger brother ofMichael Morgan and the son of former facul-ty member Marilyn McCallie Morgan.

ADAM MORGAN ’96 Physical Plant Manager

“The most exciting aspect of working at Webb is that I am exposed to so many multi-talented people. I enjoy learning from everyoneon campus and in many ways I still feel like a Webb student.” – Adam Morgan ’96

Webb Alumni Contributingto Webb as Faculty and Staff

Jonathan is a middle-Tennessee native whoattended Webb for five years (Old Guard)and graduated in 2002. As a Webb studentJonathan ran on the Cross Country team. Heis well-known for his passion for music andparticipation in Webbstock. Jonathan was aDean’s List student at Middle TennesseeState University, where he earned a Bachelor

of Science Degree in Electronic MediaCommunications. Jonathan joined the WebbAlumni & Development Office in May 2008to develop Webb’s Marketing and assist withAlumni Relations. Jonathan is a rabidAlabama Football Fan with interests in film,music, and guitar.

JONATHAN WALDROP ’02Marketing, Ticketing, and Alumni Relations

T

Winter 200920

By Sandi Jobe ‘95

Alumni Connections

Henri was born in New Orleans LA, grew upin the Caribbean, and attended Webb as aJunior and Senior. As a student, Henri wasvery involved in theater, baseball, and soccer.Henri received his Bachelor of Arts Degree inFilm and Broadcasting from TusculumCollege. Henri returned to Webb this Spring2008 as the Alumni & Development Office

Intern. Henri is priceless to Webb’s AlumniRelations efforts and also serves as ChamblissDorm Advisor and assistant Coach of theBoys’ and Girls’ Varsity Soccer Teams. Henrihopes to contribute to Webb’s Fine Arts cur-riculum through involvement in the audio andvideo editing program.

HENRI LESPINASSE ’04 Alumni and Development, Chambliss Dorm Advisor,Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach

Kristen is a middle-Tennessee nativewho attended Webb for five years (OldGuard) and graduated in 2000. As aWebb student, Kristen was very involvedin theater, choir, was the co-president forFOCUS Community Service her senioryear, was active in theater, was voted“Most Talented” by the student body, andreceived the President’s Award forAcademic Excellence, among otherachievements and activities. Afterspending a year in Morocco andCasablanca working for a tri-lingual education program, Kristen earned her

Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Languageand Literature from New YorkUniversity. Kristen joined Webb’s facul-ty in 2007 to teach Spanish; she and herspunky dog Scout are tenacious dormparents. Kristin’s passion for the artsand language continues at Webb thoughher interests in violin, singing, theater,fine arts, dance, film, and internationaltravel.

KRISTEN LINTON ’00 Spanish, Rand Dorm Advisor

“Working here allows me to give back to the school that gave me so much, and devel-op new relationships with some of my favorite teachers. It also means that the stu-dents interact with someone who has been in their shoes and understands what theyare going through because I went through it myself.” – Kristen Linton ’00

Michael is a Bell Buckle area native. Heattended Webb for six years (AncientGuard); he was involved in student government, community service and behindthe scenes in Webb theater and athletics. Asa senior he served as President of the HonorCouncil. Michael earned a Bachelor ofScience (General Engineering - core, with amajor in History) from the United StatesNaval Academy before serving 10 years as

a Surface Warfare Officer. Michael joinedWebb’s Administration in winter 2008 asDirector of Alumni & Development.Michael enjoys reading and stayinginformed. He is the older brother of AdamMorgan and the son of former faculty mem-ber Marilyn McCallie Morgan.

MICHAEL MORGAN ’94Director of Alumni and Development


Alumni Connections

Amy is a middle-Tennessee native. Sheattended Webb for three years and duringthat time was very involved in Basketball,Softball, and Volleyball, InteractCommunity Service, served on the HonorCouncil, and was voted “Miss Webb” bythe student body, among other achieve-ments. Amy received her Bachelor ofArts Degree in Sociology and Psychologyfrom Hanover College. Amy has a passion for community involvement andis very involved with the local community: she served as President of theFriends Council for Argie Cooper PublicLibrary 2006-07, President of LeadershipBedford Board of Directors 2005-06, andreceived the Volunteer Award from

Bedford Co. Chamber of Commerce in2007. Amy returned to Webb in 2004,initially as Day Student Coordinator forthe Admissions Department; during thattime she also assisted greatly in theAlumni & Development Office. Amywas named Webb Dean of Students in2005. Amy leads Webb’s communityinvolvement activities each year, serves as the Ninth Grade Dean, and teachesPsychology during the spring semester.Amy’s husband Jeff is Webb’s Director ofAthletics and teaches algebra, and theirchildren Charlie and Lucy are frequentvisitors to campus.

AMY BROWN MITCHELL ’95Dean of Students, Psychology, International StudentCoordinator, Ninth Grade Dean, Student Council Sponsor

“Webb is, and always has been, a community worth sharing with other people; we are essentially one big family. It is an honor tocome to work daily and know that I am a part of a child's education, a child's future, and a child's overall development. With all of therecent talk about Wall Street vs. Main Street, I can't help but think about how much Webb is truly a “Main Street” community. Weknow our students and their families; they know us. Sure, in my office students are learning that actions have consequences, but as anentire community we all learn so much on a daily basis, students and adults alike. One should never just take but also give, and it iscomforting to know that I am a part of a community that values this exact principle.” – Amy Mitchell ‘95

Webb Graduate and current Dean of Students Amy Mitchell and her husband, Director of Athletics JeffMitchell, are a high-profile Webbcouple who juggle multiple responsi-bilities. Amy is responsible for alldisciplinary matters at Webb, isinternational student coordinator, isthe 9th grade dean, and teachesPsychology; Jeff directs WebbAthletics, coaches varsity basketballand golf, and teaches Algebra. Although working in the sameorganization might be challengingfor many young couples, Amy claims

that “being in separate buildingsmakes it feel like we don’t actuallywork together. Our children havetold us to ‘stop talking about Webbnow’, so at home we do have tomake a conscious effort to try andleave Webb in Bell Buckle.” Settingthe boundary between their personaland at-work lives keeps theMitchells’ approach to each newchallenge fresh. Amy and Jeff have two children,Lucy, age eight, and Charlie, age six,who are frequent visitors among theWebb community. “If the opportunity

presents itself to offer Lucy &Charlie the chance to be educated atWebb, then Jeff & I will definitelyembrace it. I respect the fact thatWebb is positioned to offer an education that extends far beyond aclassroom & textbooks, and thevalue system incorporated at Webbparallels what our children know athome. Again, our children arealready a part of this big familyknown as The Webb School, so itseems like the natural next step.”

Mitchell family represents the “Character of Home”

Winter 200922

Alumni Connections

ferLucy & Charlie the chance to be educated

ebb is

a classroom & textbooks, and the valueAgain,

art of this bigebb School, so it

AJ is a middle-Tennessee native who attendedWebb for six years (Ancient Guard). Amongother achievements as a Webb student, AJwas active in Soccer, Choir, FOCUS andInteract Community Service, and received aSenior Award in World Religion. AJ earneda Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife andFisheries management from TennesseeTechnological University with a minor inBiology, and is currently completing histeaching certification at Middle Tennessee

State University. AJ joined Webb’s facultyas Middle School Science Teacher in 2005.AJ’s personal interests are church, rockclimbing, backpacking, fly fishing, traveling,and visiting his friends and family. In addition to his teaching, coaching, and dormadvisor roles, AJ also assists greatly withWebb’s Outerlimits and W.I.L.D. programs.AJ lives on campus with his wife Sarah andson Isaac.

A.J. SWAFFORD ’99 Science, Science Dept. Chair, Cooper-Farris Dorm Advisor,Middle School Girls’ Soccer

“I really enjoy working with and getting to know the students at Webb. I know what it is liketo be a student here, and I think everyone benefits from the variety of interactions we have.”– AJ Swafford ’99

Newton is a middle-Tennessee native. Heattended Webb for 4 years (Old Guard); as aWebb student he was an extremely activeathlete on the basketball, lacrosse, and baseball teams. Newton earned his Bachelorof Science in Math from the University ofTennessee (Knoxville). Newton joined

Webb’s Faculty in 2008 to teach Math andEconomics. Newton lives on campus andserves as Cooper-Farris Dorm Advisor,Assistant Varsity Lacrosse Coach, andBasketball Coach. Newton is frequently seenaround campus chasing or being chased byhis Brittany Spaniel puppy, Mattie.

NEWTON JENNINGS ’01Math, Economics, Cooper-Farris Dorm Advisor,

Assistant Varsity Lacrosse, Basketball

Sandi was born in Murfreesboro, TN andgrew up in Rowlett, Texas. She attendedWebb for two years as a Junior and Senior.As a Webb student, Sandi was involved inArt, Outerlimits, Choir, the Ecology Club,Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and wasvoted “Most Creative” senior. Sandi earneda Bachelor of Science with UniversityHonors in Animal Science/Horse ScienceEmphasis and minors in General Scienceand English from Middle Tennessee StateUniversity. At MTSU she was a Dean’s Liststudent, advisor to the Dean of Applied

Sciences, and awarded Outstanding HonorStudent and Outstanding Horse Science student. Sandi worked at Dell Inc. inNashville and Oklahoma City for sevenyears in corporate and public technologysales, marketing, sales training, and sales management. Sandi joined Webb’s Alumni& Development Office in Sept 2008 asAlumni Relations and Annual FundCoordinator. Sandi enjoys writing, reading,plays Ultimate Frisbee with a Nashvilleleague, and is looking forward to workingwith horses again.

SANDI JOBE ’95Alumni Relations and Annual Fund Coordinator


Alumni Connections

Clay is from middle Tennessee and attended oneyear at Webb for Seventh Grade. That year hewas on the soccer team and won Webb BookAwards in Science and English, and wasstamped forever as a “Webbie.” Clay graduatedfrom Middle Tennessee State University with a

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science andSpanish. Clay joined Webb’s Faculty to teachSpanish in 2008; he lives on campus, serves asChambliss Dorm advisor and leads the MockTrial Team. Clay enjoys playing his guitar andhas a passion for music, travel, and soccer.

CLAY FRANCISSpanish, Chambliss Dorm Advisor, Soccer, Mock Trial

“It is an honor to work with young people and to actively participate in their successand future successes. The experiences I had as a Webb student are a constantreminder of what a wonderful opportunity this is for me. It is an amazing feeling towork for a place that means so much to me. This is not a job to me, it's my passion!”– Julie Yamamoto Harris ’95

JULIE YAMAMOTO HARRIS ’95 Director of Admissions, Dorm Advisor, Mock Trial Team

Julie was born in Hawaii. During hertwo years at Webb she edited theSawney yearbook, was a member of theSon Will Society and Mock Trial Team.Julie attended Berry College where sheearned her Bachelor of Arts inCommunications/Public Relations andSpanish with a minor in InternationalBusiness. Julie was Vice President ofthe Student Body at Berry College andalso the Editor and Business Manager ofBerry’s school newspaper. Julie is agraduate of the Leadership Rutherford

program and a member of the JuniorLeague of Murfreesboro, TN. Beforereturning to Webb, Julie worked inadvertising and public relations. Juliereturned to Webb in July 2005 asDirector of Alumni & Development.Today Julie is Director of Admissions,and in addition to travelling, interviewing,and educating prospective students andtheir families, she acts as dorm advisor,and assists with Webb’s Mock TrialTeam. Julie and her husband, Michaellive on campus.

Alan is a middle-Tennessee native whoattended Webb for 6 years (Ancient Guard).As a student he was involved in Soccer,Student Council, was a Cum Laude SocietyInductee, won the Harvard Book Prize andWebb Book Awards in US History and

Spanish. Alan earned his Bachelor of Arts inEnglish from Colby College in 2004 andjoined Webb’s faculty in 2007 to teachEnglish. Alan lives on campus, coachesMiddle School Lacrosse, and is the Head ofChambliss dorm.

ALAN STIMPSON ’01English, Head of Chambliss Dorm,

Middle School Lacrosse

Winter 200924

Alumni Connections

Lindsey is a middle-Tennessee native.She attended Webb for six years(Ancient Guard); she was active in softball, basketball, soccer, and the SonWill Society, among other activities,and during her senior year she wasvoted “Most Athletic” by the studentbody. Lindsey earned her degree inMarketing and Business Managementfrom the University of Tennessee(Knoxville), and joined Webb as

Assistant Director of Admissions inJuly 2006. Lindsey is currently Webb’sDay Student Coordinator, and she lovesspending time with her 1-year-olddaughter Amelia and her husband,Tryon Fournier ’01. Tryon is a memberof Webb’s Alumni Board and assistswith the Outerlimits Mountain bikingprogram. Lindsey says of Webb:

LINDSEY GRISSOM FOURNIER ’01 Admissions Day Enrollment Coordinator

“Webb has always been my second home and it's so wonderful to be back to theplace that molded me into the person I am today. Webb is truly a magical placelike no other school. It's such an honor to work along with people such as BrianWofford, Linda Williams, Ralph Jones, Sandra Truitt, and L.R.Smith. In college, Iwould long to be in Bell Buckle on those beautiful fall and spring mornings. Now I

get to experience that beauty almost every day as I'm driving in to work. I think my passion for Webb helps me in my admissionsendeavors because I have a personal connection with the school and I want to make sure I'm recruiting quality students. After all, thestudents are what makes Webb so special. Although I loved everything about Webb when I was a student, I think one of the reasons it'sa better school today is because of the hard work of the Admissions Office and Mr. Cauz. We've increased the size of our student bodywithout sacrificing students of high moral character. I'm so proud to be working for my alma mater.” – Lindsey Grissom Fournier ’01

Shilpy is a middle-Tennessee native whoattended Webb for six years (Ancient Guard)where, among other interests, she was amember of the Spanish Club, StudentCouncil, Son Will Society, and was voted“Wittiest Senior” by her student peers.Shilpy earned a Bachelor of Science inNeuropsychology from Tulane Universityand she is currently pursuing a Masters

degree at Middle Tennessee State University.Shilpy joined Webb’s Faculty in 2007 toteach Science. Shilpy loves reading andspending time outdoors, and because she is a hard-working dorm advisor, Shilpy particularly enjoys time for extra sleep when her typically-wide-awake dog Mabel will allow it.

SHILPY DIXIT ’00 Chemistry, Davis Dorm Advisor

“Being back at Webb helps me remember my roots -- what/who shaped my childhood and myeducation. I owe a lot of who I am today to the Webb community. It’s nice to be able to comeback and contribute.” – Shilpy Dixit ’00

Have you visited www.thewebbschool.com today?


Alumni Connections

The W

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WILLIAM R. “SAWNEY” WEBB,FOUNDERCO-PRINCIPAL 1870-1926

William RobertWebb, affection-ately known as“Old Sawney,”founded TheWebb School in1870. Sawneywas born in aNorth Carolinafarmhouse onNov. 11, 1842.When he was aboy, his family

moved within a mile of W. J. Bingham’scelebrated school, where he and his brotherswere allowed to attend as day students. Aftergraduating from Bingham’s School, Sawneyattended the University of North Carolina(UNC) at Chapel Hill in 1860, but soon leftto join the Confederate Army where he roseto the rank of Captain. After the conclusionof the Civil War, he returned to UNC andgraduated in 1868. Sawney taught at aprivate school in Oxford, N.C. until 1870when he moved to Tennessee to start aschool of his own.

Due to challenging social, economic, andpolitical conditions, small independentschools were springing up in Tennesseetowns, in which residents had organizedprivate school boards that could supportschools in their communities. OnIndependence Day 1870, Sawney waselected principal by an independent schoolboard in Culleoka, Tenn. He began teachingthat August in the basement of a MethodistChurch.Sawney’s small school grew quickly, and hisbrother John joined him as co-principal in1874. In 1886 Sawney moved his school tothe little village of Bell Buckle to escape thelegalization of alcohol in the newly incorpo-rated city of Culleoka.In addition to his many contributions toeducation in the South, Sawney wasextremely involved in the church andpolitics. Although he never ran for office, hewas elected to the U.S. Senate to fill out theunexpired term of Robert L. Taylor in 1913.He did not run for re-election.Tales about “Old Sawney” and his manycontributions abound. The legacy of hisleadership is apparent in many of the stories,traditions, and philosophies that continue to

give The Webb School its unique education-al and boarding character.JOHN WEBBCO-PRINCIPAL 1874-1916

Sawney’s youngerbrother, John MauriceWebb, joined the schoolin Culleoka in 1874, at atime when enrollmenthad grown to 100 pupils.John graduated with tophonors from theUniversity of NorthCarolina. Before joininghis brother’s school in

the Culleoka Methodist Church, he taught atBingham School and an academy inRockingham, N.C.John Webb, familiarly known as “Old Jack,”had a gentle and encouraging approach toteaching that was notably different from hisbrother’s more regimented style. John waswell known for his broad and accurateknowledge, his love for books, and his abilityto inspire scholarship in his students. He wasentrusted with the senior year of a pupil’seducation, including Latin and Greek.

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Sawney Webbbeganteaching inthe basementof a MethodistChurch inCulleoka, Tenn.

Sawneymoved hisschool to thelittle village ofBell Buckle.

Sawney waselected to theU.S. Senate tofill out theunexpired termof Robert L.Taylor in 1913.

140 years of progressLEADERSHIP LEGACY

As we celebrate The Webb School’s 14th decade, we remember the legacies of each leaderand look forward to the future contributions of our newly selected Head of School RaymondS. Broadhead of Burlington, N.C., who will officially begin leading the school on July 1, 2010.The following digests were compiled from a variety of sources. While the title has varied overthe years (Principal, President, Headmaster, Head of School) – each Webb leader has leftan indelible mark on the school and its students. Because of space constraints, only a briefsynopsis of each leader’s contributions is included.

By Sandi Jobe ‘95Alumni Relations and Annual Fund Coordinator

John was awarded an honorary doctorate in1895 from the University of Nashville, laterrenamed the George Peabody College, thesame year in which Webb was accredited bythe Southern Association of Colleges andSchools (SACS). He was a member of theSACS Executive Committee from itsfounding, and was later named president ofthe association.John continued to teach long after Sawneyretired from the classroom, and was a vitalpart of The Webb School until his death in1916. The legacy of his leadership can befound in the school’s lasting commitment toa well-rounded curriculum, which stillincludes Latin; the library’s expanding collec-tion; and a continuing love of learningamong Webb students.W.R. “SON WILL” WEBB, JR.CO-PRINCIPAL 1908-1926PRINCIPAL 1926-1952

William R. Webb, Jr.was born inCulleoka, Tenn. onApril 4, 1874.Fondly known as“Son Will,” heattended his fatherand uncle’s schoolin Bell Buckle andthen graduated

from Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass.He earned a bachelor’s degree from theUniversity of North Carolina in 1896, andjoined The Webb School faculty in 1897. Hewas named co-principal in 1908, and led theschool alongside his father and uncle untiltheir deaths.A Board of Trustees and a separate AlumniAssociation were formed at The WebbSchool in 1920; and Son Will assumed therole of principal upon Sawney’s death in

1926. A lifelong learner, Son Will went on toearn a Doctorate of Literature (Litt.D.) fromMaryville College, a Doctorate of Civil Law(D.C.L.) from the University of the South atSewanee, and a Doctorate of Law (L.L.D.)from the University of North Carolina.Under Son Will’s leadership, and assisted bythe efforts of the trustees and the AlumniAssociation, the school began to raise fundsto construct buildings and acquire adjacentland for the expansion of facilities andprograms. A new Administration Building(now the Admissions building), and today’s“Old” Library were built in 1926. The firstgymnasium was built under his leadership,made possible by a 1938 gift by Cecil Sims,Sr. An Infirmary was constructed in 1949, inmemory of McNeal McDonnell (Class of1945), and a “New” Big Room was complet-ed in 1951, following a major gift campaign.It was also during Son Will’s administration,that The Webb School ceased to board itsstudents in private homes and began toexpand its on campus dormitory system.Son Will retired in 1952.G. WEBB FOLLIN – CLASS OF 19081920-1952 ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL1952-1959 PRINCIPAL

Webb Follin was thefirst principal whowas also a graduate ofThe Webb School.He began teachingEnglish for his AlmaMater in 1914, servedas assistant principalfor 32 years andprincipal for sevenyears before retiring

from administration in order to raise fundsfor Webb’s future in the DevelopmentOffice. Follin is remembered for having a

special understanding of “his boys” and anability to inspire courage, discipline, and asense of honor with compassion andunderstanding.An admissions brochure from the late 1950ssums up Follin’s vision for Webb boys: “Theaim of Webb School is to develop boys intomen who have the capacity to join withothers in the creation and preservation of afree society; and to live, for themselves, livesof probity and integrity. The school shouldtrain the student to develop the capacity forsustained effort … to feel that his greatestgood may be masked by presently unpleas-ing prospects; and to be aware that hisresponsibilities and duties are just asimportant as his rights and privileges.”The legacy of Webb Follin’s leadership canbe seen in the lives of those who learnedabout their own capacity for independentthought and actions through his model ofleadership and self-discipline.JOHN L. MORGAN1952-1959 ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL1959-1963 PRINCIPAL

When John Morgan, agraduate of MaryvilleCollege, arrived in BellBuckle in 1932 to teachPhysics and French hefound a school virtuallyunchanged sinceSawney’s days. Morgan’scontributions beganlong before his role as

an administrator. Upon his arrival at Webb,he saw an immediate need to update thecurriculum by adding a modern ScienceDepartment. There was no Chemistry orBiology, and only a weak General Sciencecourse. He was named Head of the ScienceDepartment in 1940. During the 1950s and

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A Board ofTrustees and aseparate AlumniAssociationwere formed atThe WebbSchool in 1920.

A newAdministrationBuilding (nowthe Admissionsbuilding), andtoday’s “Old”Library werebuilt. 19

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1960s boys gravitated to his classes, and toscience in general. In his own estimation,Morgan turned out 80 doctors during histeaching career, and countless young menwho were proficient in engineering, science,and education. Morgan earned a master’sdegree from Middle Tennessee State College(now Middle Tennessee State University) in 1959.During his four-year tenure as principal, thesize of the student body increased to 200,the highest level in many years. Additionally,Morgan and the Board of Trustees conduct-ed a substantial capital funds drive, whichresulted in significant improvements to theschool’s physical plant. Buildings construct-ed during Morgan’s administration includethe Haun-Ragland Gymnasium, RandDormitory, Grace Follin Dining Hall, TheBradley Audio-Visual Center, and facultyhomes on Turtle Circle. Athletic fields wereconstructed, and the school also purchased120 adjacent acres for future expansion. Allof this growth was accomplished withoutincurring financial debt.Although he retired from administration in1963, Morgan continued to teach Scienceand Mathematics until retiring fromeducation in 1975. He spent 43 years at TheWebb School under the leadership of sixheadmasters.

HENRY O. WHITESIDE, SR.CLASS OF 19291963-1970 PRINCIPAL

Henry Whiteside wasthe second Webbgraduate to be electedto the position ofprincipal of The WebbSchool. Whitesideearned a bachelor’sdegree and master’s

degree from Washington University in St.Louis, Mo. He served as chair of the St.Louis School Board and worked in researchand public relations for 26 years. Whitesidewas an instructor in marketing for theUniversity of California at Los Angelesimmediately prior to joining The WebbSchool as its principal in 1963.Although his leadership spanned a particu-larly difficult era in boarding school history(1960s), his time at Webb was significant.Whiteside oversaw the construction of theG. Webb Follin Administration Building andChapel, still a major hub of life at Webb; thecreation of an Outward Bound Program,which evolved into today’s Outerlimits; andthe planting of a beautiful display of variousspecies of trees, planted mostly through hisown efforts alongside Webb students.Whiteside was selected to receive Webb’sDistinguished Graduate Award in 1993.KENNETH F. STUCKEY1970-1973 PRINCIPAL

Like Son Will, KenStuckey was agraduate of PhillipsAcademy and theUniversity of NorthCarolina at ChapelHill where he earneda bachelor’s degreein French. He wenton to earn hismaster’s degree in

education from the University of SouthCarolina. Stuckey came to Webb afterserving 12 years as Head of the LowerSchool at Akin Preparatory School in Akin,S.C. When he arrived in Bell Buckle, Stuckeycommented to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette that the school’s greatest strengthwas its academic program.

“Although policy changes and buildingprograms are often dramatic, I think thatour most significant steps forward havebeen taken in terms of upgrading ourcurriculum,” Stuckey said, referring torecent changes in the Mathematics, English,and Science programs. The 1970 Webbcurriculum included for the first time a“Probability, Statistics, and ComputerProgramming” course, as well as collegeseminar-style English classes.Stuckey also committed himself to growingthe school’s athletics program.Upon arriving at Webb in 1970, he said,“For the first time since the last century we’llbe going for interscholastic sports in a bigway … we expect to field a first-class soccerteam.”Under Stuckey’s administration Webb beganan official day student program, and soonbegan to admit girls for the first time sincethe mid-1940s. Chambliss Dormitory wascompleted, which allowed the boardingprogram to expand, and student enrollmentincreased from 115 to 187 students.Stuckey’s tenure, however, proved to beshort lived. After three years of progressivechange, he resigned in 1973.DR. GARY M. JONES1973-1978 PRESIDENT

Dr. Gary Jones is aB r i t i s h - b o r n ,naturalized U.S.Citizen andordained minister.He came to theUnited States in1947 after wartimeservice in the BritishMerchant Marine

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Webb ceasedto board itsstudents inprivate homesand began toexpand its oncampusdormitorysystem. 1952

- 63 Buildings constructed

include the Haun-Ragland Gymnasium,Rand Dormitory, GraceFollin Dining Hall, TheBradley Audio-VisualCenter, and facultyhomes on Turtle Circle. 19

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The G. WebbFollinAdministrationBuilding andChapel werebuilt.

and Royal Navy. Jones graduated SummaCum Laude from Arkansas College in 1950and earned bachelor’s and master’s degreesfrom Union Theological Seminary inVirginia. Jones served as a pastor in Texas formany years, as well as serving as Chairman ofthe Academic Committee of the Board ofTrustees for Arkansas College. He earned adoctoral degree in ministry from VanderbiltUniversity in 1972, writing his dissertationon the topic of ecological preaching.As he accepted the post of president of TheWebb School, Jones stated, “Our entirecountry is becoming increasingly concernedover the loss of individuality, self-discipline,and morality that plagues us at every turn.The traditions of Webb indicate that if weare to change what we should and preservewhat we must that it will be done best thatwe take seriously the education of the wholeperson. Webb, in its preservation of thespirit of its founder, continues to devoteitself in such a direction.”Jones’ administration created a legacy ofprogrammatic health and financial growth:Annual Giving increased steadily each year,and Webb’s endowment grew from $4,000 tomore than $500,000, creating a fund balancethat would complement tuition and helpstabilize the school’s future fiscal health.Webb’s Summer School, Athletics, Art, andOutdoors Programs continued to grow.Enrollment increased as well, creating thelargest student body in 50 years.As president of Webb, Jones assisted in theselection of a new headmaster, Jackson E.Heffner, so that he could spend more timeraising funds for Webb’s future. In 1979,Jones resigned to assume duties atWoodward Academy in College Park, Ga.,leaving Heffner to fulfill the roles of bothpresident and headmaster.

JACKSON E. HEFFNER1977-1989 HEADMASTER

Jackson E. Heffner,a 1942 graduate ofThe Phillips ExeterAcademy in Exeter,N.H., received abachelor’s degree inhistory fromPrinceton in 1947and a master’sdegree in politicalscience at Stanfordin 1954. After a brief

period with the Foreign Service when heserved as U.S. Vice Consul in Basra, Iraq, hebegan his academic career as a teacher at theAsheville School in Asheville, N.C. Heserved as headmaster of the Masters Schoolin Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., and headmaster ofNorth State Academy in Hickory, N.C. andof the Samuel Ready School in Baltimore,Md.The 1960s and 1970s were difficult times forindependent boarding schools. Hefnerrecognized the impact of the era on Webb.In a 1989 interview, he commented that thiswas “a period of great soul-searching on thepart of individuals of all ages. Increasingly,the young found those of us who were olderseemingly out of touch with the times …they regarded us as having failed them.”Heffner continued, “The Webb School didnot escape that era unscarred, but it didemerge in far better shape than many similarinstitutions.”The Heffner years saw a new major capitalcampaign launched in 1981. Notableimprovements during his 12-year administra-tion included significant endowment growth,the construction of Cooper-Farris andAustin-Davis dormitories and the Davis-Woosley Science and Computer Center. New

courses were added to the academicprogram; Outerlimits and Intramural sportsbecame a standard offering in Webb’scurriculum. Through these financial success-es and facility improvements, Heffner didnot lose sight of the core mission.“We are proud of the work which has beendone,” he said upon retiring in 1989, andthen quoted Sawney Webb: “but we strivenot to let bricks and mortar take precedenceover the areas of greater importance.”

A. JON FRERE1989-2005 HEADMASTER

Jon Frere washeadmaster for 16years, the longesttenure since Sawneyand “Son Will” Webb.Frere received abachelor’s degreefrom Franklin andMarshall College anda master’s degree fromMiddlebury College.He came to Webbfrom Austin, Texas,

where he served as dean of students,assistant headmaster, and interim headmasterat St. Stephen’s Episcopal School for fiveyears. Prior to his roles in administration, hewas director of athletics and taught Spanishat Blair Academy in New Jersey for 18 years.Under Frere’s leadership, Webb produced 26National Merit Semifinalists, 28 NationalMerit Finalists, one National HispanicRecognition Scholar, and two NationalAchievement Scholars. Academic programscontinued to expand with the addition of anEthics course and expansion of technologyimplementation on campus. Annual givingsteadily increased and the endowment grewfrom $8 Million to $17 Million.

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Webb began anofficial day studentprogram, and soonbegan to admit girlsfor the first time sincethe mid-1940s. 1981

A major capitalcampaign waslaunched. Cooper-Farris and Austin-Davis dormitoriesand the Davis-Woosley Science andComputer Centerwere constructed. 19

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The studentbody movedevery book byhand into thebeautiful newWilliam BondLibrary.

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Tremendous changes were made all overWebb’s campus throughout his tenure. In1993 the student body moved every book byhand into the beautiful new William BondLibrary; in 1995 a new Student Centerreplaced the old Senior Room. In later years,a picturesque area to carry on Sawney’s habitof reading was created and named the LauraWoosley Memorial Plaza. Webb’s AthleticProgram was enhanced with the construc-tion of the Imre Lagler Athletic Field andthe state-of-the-art Barton Athletic Center.Renovations to the Big Room and the SonWill Admissions Building were alsocompleted to ensure their survival as vitalparts of Webb’s campus.Frere’s legacy goes far beyond facilityimprovements. He touched the lives ofmore than 800 students who attended Webbduring his administration, and re-connectedhundreds of Alumni with their Alma Materbefore retiring in 2005.ALBERT R. CAUZ2005-2009 HEAD OF SCHOOL

Albert Cauz’ administra-tion at Webb began in thefall of 2005. Cauz earneda bachelor’s degree fromBoston College and amaster’s degree fromMiddlebury College. Hecame to Webb fromPhillips Academy inAndover, Mass., where he

was dean of the Abbott Cluster, Spanishteacher, coach for multiple sports, thestudent government faculty advisor, and thedirector of a five-week internationalsummer study program in Spain. Prior toworking at Phillips, he chaired the foreignlanguage department, taught Spanish,coached and ran the dormitory at CateSchool in Carpenteria, Calif., and taught

Spanish at Choate-Rosemary Hall inWallingford, Conn.Cauz was inspired by Webb’s tradition ofeducating both the character and the mindof students. “[A school should] produceyoung people of high character, whosecuriosity, knowledge and goodness alwaysblend together to help set the rudiments forfuture leadership in our communities,” hesaid in an early interview.

Cauz brought steady growth and improve-ment in many critical areas at the school.Faculty salaries were increased and a five-dayboarding program was initiated, in order tomaximize local student involvement inathletics and residential life. A CampusWellness project was begun by the Board ofTrustees to improve aging campus facilitiesand grounds. The Grace Follin Dining Hall,Big Room, and “Old” Library receivedstructural and aesthetic renovations and theFine Arts program was expanded dramati-cally: the Haun-Ragland Gymnasium wasrenovated into a Fine Arts Center completewith a pottery and art studio, music roomswith instruments, a black box theatre, and adigital sound-editing lab.

In addition to the many facility enhance-ments, Cauz oversaw a faculty committee-led process to create a new academic strategicplan that would carry Webb’s curriculuminto the 21st Century. Cauz resigned inMarch 2009 to accept a position as Head ofThe Baldwin School in San Juan, PuertoRico. His strong focus on caring for Webb’sfacilities while improving the reach andscope of its curriculum enhanced Webb’sposition as a nationally competitive collegepreparatory boarding school.

GORDON E. BONDURANT2009-2010 INTERIM HEAD OFSCHOOL

The Webb SchoolBoard of Trusteesnamed Gordon E.Bondurant ofCharleston, S.C.interim head of schoolfor the 2009-2010school year. Bondurantis a former head ofschool at MontgomeryBell Academy in

Nashville, and Darlington School inGeorgia. He was recently head of school atPorter-Gaud School in Charleston, S.C. Hehas also served as an interim head of schoolat St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis,Tenn., and Salem Academy in NorthCarolina. His career in private schooleducation spans more than 40 years.Bondurant is a graduate of DavidsonCollege and an active civic leader, havingserved in leadership roles for RotaryInternational, United Way, the CharlestonSymphony, and as an Elder at the FirstPresbyterian Church.Bondurant worked closely with consultantJack Stanford and the Webb Board ofTrustees to find a permanent head ofschool. This process culminated inNovember 2009, with the selection ofRaymond S. Broadhead of Burlington, N.C.as the 12th head of school. Broadhead willofficially begin leading the school on July 1,2010.An experienced administrator, Bondurant isactively involved in leading Webb’s academicprograms, daily operations, relationshipbuilding and fundraising initiatives.

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RaymondBroadhead(with wife,Leone)namedHead ofSchool.

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The Webb School community was sad-dened to learn that retired Headmaster Jackson E. Heffner of Shelbyville, Tenn. passed away on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011 after an extended illness. He was 86.

In 1977 the Heffner family made themselves a home on the rural campus in the town of Bell Buckle. By the time Heffner retired from The Webb School in 1989, he had helped the school to recover from critically challenging times, maintaining its oldest traditions while leading it toward its current status as the oldest continually operating boarding school in the South.

Heffner was a lifetime scholar who dedicated his life to creating the best possible conditions for learning to take place. A graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy in 1942, he attended Princeton University. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after his freshman year there, and graduated after the war with the class of 1946. He went on to earn a master’s degree at Stanford University.

“Jack Heffner’s vision and hard work laid the foundation for Webb to become the school it is today,” said L.R. Smith, senior faculty member and history teacher at Webb. “He actively participated in the first healthy growth of our endowment and created the conditions to grow it for years to come. He was a fair man who treated people the right way. And he hired a strong group of faculty, the core of which is the senior faculty at Webb today.”

Many independent schools permanent-ly closed their doors during the era of

socioeconomic turmoil in the 1960s and 1970s that preceded Heffner’s

arrival at Webb.

“[That era was] a period of great soul-searching on the part of individuals of all ages. Increasingly, the young found those of us who were older seemingly out of touch with the times, unyielding for the most

part, and they regarded us as having failed them … The Webb School did not escape that era unscarred, but it did emerge in far better shape than many similar institutions,” Heffner commented in a 1989 interview.

Heffner insisted that Webb could push past these challenges and maintain its competi-tive edge.

“The Webb School is obviously a very different institution from the one founded by Sawney Webb in 1870,” he said. “The world in which we live is a far cry from that of 100 years ago. So is the area in which we operate, and so are the students who come to us. We are all part of a far more interdependent, more mobile, and much less homogeneous society. … to meet [today’s needs] requires more in the way of plant, curriculum, and staff.”

Heffner immediately championed long-lasting changes in Webb’s curriculum and facilities. Two new home-like dormitories were added, as well as new courses in language, mathematics, arts, and sciences. The first computers were purchased even though, according to Heffner, “many considered the computer to be a passing fancy.” Soon a new science building housed math and science classes. Heffner expanded the international student exchange program and encouraged international travel for student groups.

Heffner was especially passionate about creating a family of Webb teachers and staff to support his greatest priority – a strong community where learning is a way of life.

“I was a punky little college graduate when Jack Heffner gave me a chance,” recalled L.R. Smith, who has taught for 32 years now at Webb. “He gave a lot of people a chance.”

Heffner continually emphasized the importance of the people who made Webb a way of life. He wrote “our buildings do, after all, serve only to help in meeting our ‘people’ needs.”

Legacy lives on at WebbJackson E. Heffner(1924-2011)


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“Jack backed the faculty up, he really stood behind us,” said Brian Wofford, science teacher and director of Outerlimits, the wilderness learning/survival skills program. “His support made the Outerlimits program one of the strongest activities at Webb, as far as student participation. He was very patient and consistent as a leader. You could trust him.”

Ron Smith, who started teaching English at Webb in 1985, remembered Heffner’s commitment to developing new teachers.

“I’ll never forget his advice to me when I was a first-year teacher. He told me to be authentic in the classroom, to be myself. He told me, ‘If you pattern yourself after someone else, at best you’ll be nothing more than a pale imitation of someone else.’ It was the best advice anyone ever gave me,” Ron Smith said.

The entire Heffner family became a Webb institution. Dorothy Elkins, who was Heffner’s personal secretary for 11 years, said, “Mr. Heffner was always so kind and easy to work with. His whole family was so friendly and his wife Ria (Maria) was always looking after everyone.”

“I remember him offering me the opportunity to teach in a brand new classroom,” said Sandy Truitt, longtime Webb math teacher. “He and his family meant so much to Webb.”

After retirement, Heffner stayed in touch with many members of his Webb family. He never lost his passion for learning and encouraging that passion in others.

Even after his retirement, Heffner continued to support The Webb School and his vision for the school’s future. In a 2008 letter to Webb alumni, he wrote, “Many of today’s problems

could not have been foreseen 21 years ago, nor can we predict what new challenges we may face in the future. ... I believe that we have been correct in our major investments through the years, and the time has come for us to once again invest in both faculty and facilities as we move forward to the next generation. With your help we can meet the challenge of keeping The Webb School a leader in independent education in our area.”

Heffner is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Maria Heffner, four children: Jackson Edward “Jerry” Heffner, Jr. and wife, Belinda; Loula Parks; Louisa Self and husband, Mike; and Jordan Heffner; and four grandchildren.

The Webb School community is grateful for the life and service of Jackson E. Heffner.

The Webb community is mourning the loss of Howard “Trey” Tygrett, III, ‘88, who died on Dec. 25, 2010 in Texas while visiting family.

The presiding mayor of the city of Clarkston, Ga., and Webb’s Alumni Board President, Tygrett, 40, leaves a wife, Amy, and two children, Alice Elizabeth and Ty (Howard Volney Tygrett, IV). Please see “In Memoriam” on Page 28 for a complete list of survivors.

A memorial service was held Jan. 22 at International Bible Church in Clarkston. Tygrett’s ashes were spread on the South Padre Island beaches that he loved so much as a child and where he spent his last day (Dec. 24, 2010) with his own children.

Tygrett remained connected to The Webb School since graduation. He was a Class Agent for his class (1988) and served as President of the Webb Alumni Board (2008-present).

“He was a public servant with loyal dedication to focusing the Webb Alumni Board’s service to Webb’s Alumni, prospective families, and the increasingly global Webb School community,” said Webb’s Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Sandi Jobe ‘95. “His unexpected passing is a huge loss for the Webb community.”

Learning of his death, Tygrett’s Webb classmates immediately created a Facebook

Group –“Remembering Trey Tygrett,” to allow members of the Webb community an outlet to express their feelings of loss and to celebrate the memory of their friend.

Following are some excerpts from these posts.

Webb faculty member Ron Smith reminisced, “I lived in Clarkston during three years of my childhood, so I was especially pleased, when Trey visited with me last spring, to learn that he was the mayor there. After our visit in the Big Room, I asked Trey to accompany me to Chapel, where Webb’s choir performed in a special afternoon session. The students sang beautifully that afternoon, and it pleases me when I recall the look of pure joy on Trey’s face as he took it all in.”

Retired Webb Librarian Sandra Sanders recalled a favorite memory of Tygrett when he was a student at Webb: “I had started down the steps to the basement of the library when I heard Trey’s voice. It was slightly raised and he was obviously talking to another student with much authority in his voice. I hesitated and listened as Trey told that person that picking on a student from the lower school was not the way Webb students did things. The younger student, trying to contain his tears, was then comforted by Trey and another student whose voice I did not recognize. I turned and went back up the steps knowing that Trey was completely in charge and doing a wonderful job. Why must the good die young?”

A classmate, Hayden McClurg ‘88 posted: “He was a good man. He was honest. I remember when he spent a weekend with me in NYC. ... He woke up at 5:30 to get out and stand outside of the Today Show’s studio. It was so cold I refused to even leave my apartment. He went out in a blizzard and stood in line for at least four hours just to be on television. That’s the kind of man he was.”

A memorial fund has been established in Tygrett’s name. Donations can be mailed to: Howard Tygrett Memorial Fundc/o Suntrust Bank3850 Rockbridge Road Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Mourning: Trey Tygrett ‘88, Alumni Board President

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“Because of Webb, I’ve had opportunities I would not have had otherwise,” said Ridley Shetler when she visited Bell Buckle in March.

When she received her Webb Bible at graduation in 2007, Ridley Shetler would not have predicted that she would make a mark in history as the first woman accepted into the U.S. Navy’s elite Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate (NUPOC) program. In May 2011 she graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), with a degree in nuclear engineering, already preparing to embark on a career as one of the very first women in U.S. history to serve aboard a combat-ready submarine.

Ridley came to Webb as a freshman day student from Murfreesboro. She credits her grandmother with giving her the opportunity to attend Webb.

After the initial shock of adjusting to Webb’s challenging curriculum, Ridley began to enjoy life as a Webb student.

“There was a lot of freedom, and I liked how small the classes were,” she said. “You really did get individual attention and support from the teachers. Bill Rice really whipped me into shape in science. Being that close to the teachers, you really wanted their respect. I wanted to prove that I could do well.”

Webb’s small community also motivated Ridley.

“Everyone knows what you’re doing,” she continued. “They want you to succeed, and they usually know it when you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”

The small Webb community has always been close-knit like a family. In a similar way to other transitions throughout Webb’s history, a change in leadership in 2005 exposed the student body to a new set of expectations, and a culture shift.

As Ridley began her junior year, Albert Cauz succeeded John Frere, who retired after 16 years as head of school. The change

in leadership dynamics and the additional responsibilities of being an upperclassman seemed oppressive to young Ridley.

“During my last two years at Webb, I was almost contemptuous toward the school. I felt that our freedom was being taken away,” she explained. “I had no idea how much freedom we actually had, and how that freedom forced us to be responsible without even knowing it.”

Ridley Shetler ‘07 ...............By Sandi JobeDirector of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

Ridley Shetler ‘07 tries on her old senior blazer during a recent visit to campus.

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She continued, “When I got to college I realized immediately how much I had learned. Other people couldn’t even make themselves go to class. It was a huge culture shock … I figured out that even though I didn’t like some things, Webb taught me how to manage myself.”

When she entered college, Ridley didn’t plan to study nuclear engineering.

“I thought I wanted to major in global studies,” she said. “But I had taken every math and science class at Webb, and it didn’t take long for me to miss it. I thought about medical school, maybe radiology, and then I switched to the power side of engineering.”

At a different university, this change of focus might not have led Ridley to service on a Naval submarine. Nuclear engineering is only offered at a select few colleges and universities, globally; UTK’s program is the third largest in the U.S. Ridley was quickly hooked on this new field of study, but the Navy still wasn’t an immediate choice for her career.

“Several family members served in the military,” she explained. “I’d always thought it would be cool to serve but I never really thought I could do it. Then I talked to an officer recruiter about the NUPOC program … To even get an interview, you had to

prove both academic standing and responsibility. You’re thrown into leadership and responsibility - they don’t hold your hand - and you have to prove you’re ready for that.”

Fortunately for Ridley, she received what it took to prove herself at Webb.

“Outerlimits was my favorite activity. You could take wilderness skills and forestry, and Mr. Wofford encouraged our leadership skills. He gave us the responsibility to lead and plan the trips. It was so satisfying to see your work pay off.”

The journey to a career as a submarine division officer occurs in several phases. Twelve weeks of officer boot camp, physical training, and history of military and warfare classes are followed by the NavyNuke Power School. Three years worth of content including reactor theory and theory of nuclear power were crammed into six months of classes. Next comes six months of hands-on experience with a prototype reactor, followed by submarine officer basic training “all about submarines,” Ridley explained.

At the end of summer 2012, Ridley will report to base in Georgia or Washington, D.C., for her assignment aboard a guided or ballistic submarine. She is following in the footsteps of generations of Webb alumni, women and men, who have served their country in military careers.

“I would handle things differently if I could go back in time to my years at Webb,” Ridley said, with a sentiment echoed throughout decades of Webb history. “I really regret not taking the time to slow down and appreciate what was happening to me.”

makes history with unique career choice

“I really regret not taking the time to slow down

and appreciate what was happening to me.”


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A Family TraditionEducation has always been a high priority for the Redmond family. Jorge’s father and uncle, William Parker Redmond and Matthew Redmond, graduated from Webb in 1936 and 1937, respectively. After graduating from Rice University, his father, of Irish descent and raised in Louisiana, moved to Venezuela with Standard Oil (now ExxonMobil). There he met Marion Schlageter, a young woman of Swiss descent who had grown up in Venezuela and attended Vassar College, one of the first colleges established for women in the United States.

Redmond and his wife Astrid have two children who also demonstrate passion for education and leadership in international affairs.

The early daysYoung Jorge grew up in Venezuela and attended schools there until he was old enough to travel to the United States for high school and college. It was a difficult move for him, but he dutifully accepted his parents’ decision.

“I knew Webb was a good school, but I didn’t really know or care what a good school was, yet,” Redmond said. “It was just something I knew I had to do. I had to grin and bear it.”

“I remember the day my parents left me there in Bell Buckle. I thought ‘oh my gosh, I’m all alone.’”

Despite his early apprehensions about leaving Caracas Venezuela to attend a small, rural school in another country,

it wasn’t long before young Jorge was building relationships he would remember for the rest of his life.

“Everyone had such camaraderie,” Redmond said. “Randall Turner and I became friends at Webb, and have been friends ever since. Today he is a key part of my business. Billy Farris in Nashville is still a good friend.”

Impactful teachersRedmond also remembers some Webb teachers with very colorful personalities. “Mr. Rivela, I remember, the Latin teacher, would go around saying, ‘I’m going to kill you, Mr. Redmond’ when I would forget my homework or do poorly on a test,” he chuckled.

Other teachers, he says, were exemplary of Webb’s standards of integrity and scholarship.

“Mr. Morgan was there when my father was a student,” he recalled. “We called him ‘The Booger’ because he called us ‘boogers’ sometimes. He was tough, fair, and a good person who instilled a sense of propriety and honesty.”

Challenging timesRedmond’s Webb days were not without their challenges: The Webb School was in many ways a microcosm of the social restlessness of the 1960s, as were many independent schools around the nation at that time. It was an era when authority figures and social norms were increasingly distrusted by America’s youth.

In 1963 Henry O. Whiteside, a Webb graduate of the class of 1929, became Webb’s fifth principal. His highly authoritative leadership style is remembered with mixed emotions by many alumni of the 1960s.

Like many of his classmates, Redmond recalls tension between the students and the administration at that time, but he also recalls another side of Whiteside’s passionate nature.

“I remember the day Kennedy died like it was yesterday,” he said. “Mr. Whiteside convened everyone in chapel. He gave quite an eloquent soliloquy, and he cried.”

Giving thanksOverall, Redmond remembers his Webb days with fondness, and like many alumni he credits his Webb experiences with instilling values he didn’t fully recognize until much later in life.

“I was a late bloomer,” he said. “Webb did a lot to help me understand things. When I think of Webb, I think of ‘noli res subdole facere’ [‘do nothing on the sly’]…it was drilled into us. In the beginning you don’t think so much about it. As you get older, and establish relationships with different people, you begin to recognize the value, and how unique that is.”

International influenceBefore college, Redmond spent a year in Switzerland before returning to the U.S. to attend American University in Washington, D.C. After graduating from college, Redmond spent two more years interning with a bank in Switzerland before his father called him home to Venezuela to help with the family real estate business. Redmond quickly became restless and unhappy in that business. “One day, I went to see an old traditional family-owned chocolate factory,” he said. “It was falling behind, there was no marketing.”

An International Affair

“I guess I was destined to go to The Webb School,” said Jorge Redmond, who arrived in Bell Buckle in the fall of 1962 and graduated from Webb in 1966. Forty-five years after his graduation,

Redmond is owner and CEO of internationally-known Chocolates El Rey, a top-quality, progressive Venezuelan chocolate producer. He is also a passionately committed leader for the causes of international business practices and education.

By Sandi Jobe ’95Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

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Seeing potentialThe world’s largest cacao producer in the 1920s, Venezuela underwent tremendous social and economic changes which shifted focus away from traditional agriculture to industry and oil production. The potential value of Venezuelan chocolate, however, was still high. Chocolate connoisseurs, like wine connoisseurs, correlate certain flavor characteristics with local soil and climate conditions.

Redmond saw the potential to build an internationally-renowned business from the traditional-style factory, and in 1973 he was able to buy the owners out and begin the transformation that would take Chocolates El Rey to the forefront of Venezuelan chocolatiers. Rather than continuing to export the best cocoa beans to large foreign manufacturers, Redmond’s business strategy incorporated the domestic production and promotion of high-end finished chocolate products, and eventually expanded production to different chocolate types for domestic consumption and export.

A gourmet strategyToday, despite continuing socio-political and economic challenges in Venezuela, Chocolates El Rey produces gourmet chocolate using state-of-the-art technology and fairly-traded cacao beans from growers and company-owned plantations in Venezuela. It’s the first chocolate company in the world to firmly establish point of origin (a common distinction in the wine industry) as an important distinction in chocolate production. In 2008, Harvard Business School conducted an in-depth case study of Redmond’s business and marketing strategy for use at Harvard and other business schools, globally.

“They sent three or four Harvard professors down to research and put the case together,”

Redmond explained. “I went to watch the case presented for the first time to the class at Harvard. It was interesting to see executives from all over the world discussing this case, and come to the conclusion that the decisions that have been made were the proper ones. I got a huge kick out of that.”

Chocolates El Rey is becoming a multinational business, with alliances in the U.S. and Europe. Cacao is purchased directly from growers all over Venezuela using fair trade practices; the company is currently registering for Fair Trade certification. Redmond was the founder and has been president of the Association of Cacao Processors; negotiations are underway with Venezuelan governors which, if successful, could quadruple Venezuelan cacao production over the next 15 years.

Continuing Leadership Redmond has always been passionate about business leadership and the importance of education in improving economic conditions for developing nations. In addition to his personal business interests, his past leadership roles (prior to the year 2000) include presidencies of many influential organizations, including: the Venezuelan Chamber of Food Manufacturers; the Venezuelan Confederation of Industry; the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry; he is also a past member of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Most recently, he is currently a member of the boards for Venezuela Competitiva, Venezuela’s center for the promotion of competitiveness, and the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is also the president of Fundacion Pimjo, a private foundation for the

promotion of educational reform; president of the Centro Venezolano Americano, a bi-national cultural and education center, and a member of the board of the Universidad Metropolitana, the metropolitan university of Caracas.

Venezuelan politics still create many business challenges that relate to education, Redmond said. Although there is a high rate of literacy in Venezuela, there is a weak level of comprehensive higher education, and for this reason Redmond leads a foundation which is currently working on a comprehensive education reform plan for Venezuela.

“If more people had access to a higher level of education,” he says, speaking words that would not have been unfamiliar to Sawney Webb in 1870, “they could take advantage of opportunities they can’t even see, as it is today.”


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Since his days as a youth in Bell Buckle, McRady had traveled around the world

“Do I hear bagpipes in the Big Room?” Visitors to The Webb School 25 years ago might have

asked this question if Andrew McRady was around. He still plays the bagpipes at school when he has the chance; only now his school is on the opposite side of the globe from Bell Buckle, Tenn. And he is no longer a student. Now, he helps run the school.

Andrew McRady grew up in Bell Buckle, Tenn., started playing the bagpipes at the age of 17, and graduated from Webb as a member of the ancient guard in 1986.

Learning, labor, service, and diversityAfter Webb, young McRady spent a year at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, one of the oldest universities in the English-speaking world. He went on to graduate from Berea College in Kentucky, where he met his wife Julie, a teacher who shares his passion for international education.

McRady went on to complete his Master of Education degree at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. For the past 10 years, he has been assistant principal and social science teacher at Nakorn Payap International School (NIS) in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

“The foundation of my educational philosophy was laid at The Webb School,” said McRady. “As a student at Webb, I learned the importance of a strong sense of honor and responsibility. I also learned the value of internationalism and the importance of work. Hanging in the chapel are the flags of all the countries represented at the school; it looks like a miniature United Nations. I came to value the insights from the international students and faculty, and developed a keen interest in the outside world.”

The mission statement at NIS is “Learning Through Diversity,” and the philosophy of the school incorporates developing students’ concern for others, encouraging open-mindedness and trust, and instilling a personal sense of dignity. Thirty nationalities

are represented among the 350 pre-K through 12th grade students and their families at NIS, which reinforces the importance of living meaningfully and effectively in a larger world society.

Learning is a way of lifeLike Webb alumni from all generations, McRady was influenced by the examples set by his Webb teachers.

“In my role as teacher and administrator, I try to model

myself after L.R. Smith,” McRady said. “His sense of duty, justice, compassion – they all roll into who he is. He is an outstanding teacher and administrator.”

Other iconic Webb legends who have strongly influenced McRady are Mr. Imre Lagler and Mr. Jack Hefner.

“Mr. Lagler is always with me; everywhere I go, every day.” McRady said. “I spent five years with him. Two things he always insisted on, one: having a red pen, and today I always carry one. Two: keeping a handkerchief. I can still hear him saying ‘I don’t want to hear your snot! You get a lash!’

Finding common groundLiving, working, and raising a daughter and a son in Asia makes for quite a different lifestyle than McRady grew up with in the rural southern U.S. But his family’s presence at NIS is very important to the education the students receive.

“International schools like mine are important in the same way that Webb is important,” he explained. “The international students at Webb will come back to their countries and be the leaders. Economics, politics, business, medicine – they are the future leaders. Those are the same kids we’re educating at international schools.

“They will be the bridges that will connect our global community.”

Andrew McRady ’86 carries on the Webb tradition ...IN THAILAND

“When you come to the end, you will find that the only things that are worthwhile are character and the help you’ve given to other people.” ~ Sawney Webb

By Sandi JobeDirector of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

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Sleepy students snapped to attention when the brightly-metallic fluttering dragon interrupted chapel

announcements to stampede onto the stage and dance. Nervous giggles, gasps, and whispers from the student body were followed by applause and cheering when the dragon removed its head to reveal the boy inside. He had their attention!

That was how Tianyu “John” Dong began the school year. He was starting a new club, and he attracted a throng of followers who would soon learn from the example of his ambassadorship.

Make your life widerIn a November 2010 blog post to the Webb community, John described leaving his homeland for the United States.

“Just before I got on the plane,” he wrote, “my dad gave me a big hug. He then whispered in my ear, ‘If you can’t make your life longer, make it wider…’ I nodded, only vaguely understanding what he was trying to say.”

John grew up in Beijing, China, and after one year as an exchange student with a family in Ohio he came to Webb in 2009, his junior year. John was a strong student in China, but when he first came to the U.S. he soon found himself struggling at every subject except math and physics.

“I stayed up every night until midnight just to read English homework that took others only half an hour to do.” John said. “I was unable to express my deep thoughts, to show my intellect to my teachers and to gain the approval and admiration of my peers. All I did was listen and translate.”

John’s family chose for him to complete his secondary education at The Webb School.

“I have much more freedom, but I also have more responsibility,” he said. “I started to learn how to take care of myself, and how to be organized.”

Despite the early challenges with communication, it didn’t take long for John to resume his place at the top of his class, earning the respect of his fellow students and teachers – and making friends along the way.

“He is a student who really knows how to learn,” said math teacher Sandy Truitt. “He is constantly asking himself questions in order to understand his understanding … academically, John is one of the top students in the [class of 2011].”

Sharing is the best part of having somethingMany international students are quiet at first; John immediately bowled the entire Webb community over with his enthusiasm and appetite for learning. His leadership pulled other international and domestic students out of their “shells,” as well.

Students with strong academic abilities can sometimes be so focused on learning that they forget about other people. John, however, tested his abilities in the most difficult way – by teaching others.

“John just loves to explain what he understands and to teach other students,” Truitt said. “He would eagerly volunteer to explain homework problems at the board, and, on a number of occasions, he was in my classroom after school in order to help one of his fellow cross-country teammates who was having trouble with the material.”

John’s willingness to help was not limited to his peers. He was also committed to community service.

“The most remarkable experience I had with John was when he joined the tutoring group that I coordinate,” Truitt said. “The student flourished under John … The last day of the tutoring for the year, the student was doing extra-long subtraction problems successfully, finally earned the reward, a bag of gummy worms. When John gave him the candy, he told him that he should share it with the

other children. As John put it, ‘sharing is the best part of having something.’”

A dragon in Bell Buckle and beyondIn China, the dragon is a symbol of leadership, strength, and luck. Sandy Truitt described one of the Chinese Club’s most popular activities to see John’s ambassadorship, which started with the chapel-dragon.

“I became most impressed with the Chinese Club when I attended one of its standard Friday afternoon tea corners in the library,” she said. “There was John seated at his tea table, brewing different kinds of Chinese tea, serving it, and telling everyone what to look for in the taste of the different teas. Students of all ages and nationalities, as well as faculty members, dropped in for some tea. As we sat around the table some of the students commented on how much they enjoyed being able to relax this way on Friday afternoons. I really enjoyed watching the interaction among the many different kinds of students.”

John appreciates that Webb is unique in many ways, and he has long-term aspirations to continue his outreach – teaching others – in the U.S. and when he returns to China.

“By coming to Webb and the U.S., I learned Christianity, American history, politics, economics, Latin, and I have friends of many races, from many countries,” he said. “At Webb, teachers have been like my family. Students all know each other here.

“Education is a noble job,” John said. “You can see people getting better because you helped them. You may not make a lot of money, but life will be meaningful.”

John’s Webb career came to a close with him being named one of two recipients of the prestigious John Lewis Morgan Award (coverage on page 10).


Tianyu “John” Dong ’11 brings a dragon to

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROFILE


SUMMER 2010

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