mccallie magazine (spring 2014)

SPRING 2014

expanding the Vision Tragedy to Triumph Still Undefeated

of a leaderafter 15 years leading one of the south’s top independent schools, headmaster Kirk walker ’69 will step into retirement following this school year.

H o n o r | T r u t h | D u t y

M c c a l l i e M a g a z i n e | 2 | S P R i n g 2 0 1 4

The McCallie School MissionMcCallie School is dedicated to preparing young men to make a positive difference in their world. By fostering their intellectual, spiritual, physical, and emotional development, the school seeks to inspire and motivate them to: » strive for excellence » seek truth » live honorably » act responsibly » help others

what ’s new

Winter WonderlandA colder than average winter in the Chattanooga area with several snowfalls resulted in two snow days for McCallie in mid-February.

For a change, the Tennessee Valley collected the same amount of snow, and in some areas a bit more, than the higher elevations in the vicinity such as Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain. McCallie’s campus on the Ridge saw between six and seven inches of snow blanket the grounds and turn it into a beautiful winter wonderland.

While the students were understandably upset that school had to be closed, the white, fluffy flakes brought out the boy in nearly every student and teacher who remained on campus. Slipping and sliding on makeshift sleds made of cardboard or plastic was a favorite activity. But it was also the perfect snow to build snowmen and snow forts, to have snowball fights and to play football on a white-covered Spears Stadium turf. g

M

“Man’s Chief End is to Glorify God and to Enjoy Him Forever”



The McCallie Magazine is published by McCallie School, 500 Dodds Avenue, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404. | [email protected] | www.mccallie.org | The name “McCallie School,” the McCallie School logo and the McCallie School seal are all trademarks/namemarks of McCallie School. All materials appearing in the McCallie Magazine, including photography, are ©1996–2014 by McCallie School. Reprint or electronic reproduction of any such material for commercial purposes is prohibited without the written permission of McCallie School. Permission to use written material (not photographs) is granted for non-commercial purposes as long as McCallie School is credited. | Photography by David Humber, McCallie School staff, and contributed photos. | For information about McCallie Magazine and to obtain permission to reproduce trademarked and copyrighted material, contact the McCallie School Public Affairs Offi ce at [email protected] (423.624.8300) or by writing the Public Affairs Offi ce, McCallie School, 500 Dodds Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404. | McCallie School fully supports all anti-discrimination laws and does not engage in any unlawful discrimination.

»FIRST PERSON

4 staying ConnectedInformation Systems Director Robert Wilson and his team support the school’s technology and computing systems

»CAMPUS LIFE

6 doing their Parts for the artsTwo students started a program to fund arts education in local public schools

8 Faculty spotlightChet LeSourd ’72 is a longtime dorm head who has mentored McCallie boys since 1979

9 expanding the VisionMcCallie will break ground April 25 on a new Upper School building dedicated to science and technology

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»ALUMNI NEWS

16 tragedy to triumph A personal accident has driven Jordan Thomas

’07 to a life of compassion and generosity

18 still UndefeatedThe McCallie Class of 1957 reached 100 percent class participation in giving toward its 55th reunion class gift

»CLASS NOTES

20 Births/weddings/newsRead the latest updates from your classmates

Contents

FeatUre 10

the legacy of a leaderAfter 15 years leading one of the South’s top independent schools, Headmaster Kirk Walker ’69 will step into retirement following this school year.

Join more than 4,800 others and become a friend of McCallie School on Facebook.

Receive frequent updates about McCallie on Twitter @McCallieSchool.

The McCallie YouTube channel offers a variety of videos depicting school life.

Connect with alumni and build a professional and career identity online.

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let ters F irst Person

McCallie School has a long history of computing. In the 1970s, McCallie was one of the first schools to have an electronic student scheduling system. Among its other school technology firsts were an online student information system, paperless communication and the implementation of a ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) program. Today, McCallie continues to apply technology for academic and administrative use throughout. The Information Technology Department supports these uses by providing a reliable network, telephone, computing and application infrastructure.

Historically, many applications were developed in-house. Today, the Internet and Cloud-based applications, like Google Apps for Education, provide many of the services used at the school. Although some are not locally hosted, they are managed by McCallie. In many cases, the IT department is hands-on with this management. Increasingly however, some applications are moving towards departmental or functional level management; for example, the academic use of our learning management system. The IT department manages the backend, while faculty manages its daily academic use.

McCallie has been a BYOD school long before it became a buzzword. The school’s network infrastructure is updated regularly to handle the increased number of connected devices. The network connects and provides hardware and software support for more than 1,300 personal devices, ranging from desktops to tablets to smartphones, and more than 500 school-owned devices.

The IT department monitors hardware and software trends. Devices or software are evaluated, and when it makes sense, are integrated into the technology infrastructure. But the department doesn’t do this alone. The Technology Evaluation Committee (TEC) is a group of faculty who monitor academic technology and trends, tests

Dear Editor:I read with great interest your article “The

Battle for Chattanooga” in the Fall 2013 issue of the McCallie Magazine. I was aware of an interesting “factoid” about the battle that I thought I would share with you.

“At the Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863, during the Chattanooga Campaign, the 18-year-old Arthur MacArthur, Jr. inspired his regi-ment by seizing and planting the regimen-tal flag on the crest of Missionary Ridge at a particularly critical moment, shouting ‘On Wisconsin.’” 1

For his actions, he was awarded the Medal

of Honor. Arthur was pro-moted to the rank of colo-nel at the age of 19.

Arthur is the father of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander of Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II. Gen. MacArthur received the Medal of Honor for his service in the Philippines Campaign.

The MacArthurs are one of only two sets of father-and-son who have won the Medal of Honor. The other father and son are President Teddy Roosevelt and his son, Teddy Jr. This might be an interesting “fac-toid” to discuss in a history class!

Brig. Gen. Joseph W. (Buck) Camp Jr. ’57Jasper, Ga.

editor’s note: President Roosevelt was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2001 for his actions at San Juan Hill in 1898 in the Spanish-American War. His son Ted also earned the Medal of Honor posthumously one month after his death in 1944. Ted was a hero during the invasion of Normandy in World War II.

1 Wikipedia

Adding to the Story

The McCallie Magazine welcomes your feedback and memories. Send your thoughts to [email protected]

and recommend technology tools for academic areas.

Predicting technology futures is challenging. One area we think will continue to expand is the use of technology to enhance collaboration. With more powerful devices and increased storage, the ability to collaborate and archive material will have a dramatic effect on education. This would allow teachers to hold virtual classes over the Internet, which could prove useful on snow days or if office hours outside the normal schedule are needed. The IT department works hand-in-hand with the TEC to test and evaluate new technologies and how they might benefit McCallie’s academic program.

One of the constant challenges is optimizing bandwidth to support video conferencing, video streaming and the increasing number of devices. Prioritizing these services for academic and institutional needs changes as new technology develops. Part of this includes enhancing wireless coverage to support more mobile devices and newer network standards.

Several generations of computers have come and gone at McCallie, and each generation has a shorter lifespan. It is important that our students have the foundation and understanding that technology is not static and that they have the skills to adapt and use the technology tools of tomorrow.

Information Systems Director Robert Wilson and his staff ensure that McCallie’s students and faculty are ahead of the curve with technology. First Person allows a teacher, administrator or student to present a unique perspective on life at McCallie.

Staying Connected

Brig. Gen. Joseph W.

(Buck) Camp Jr. ’57



riValrY

insPiration

CaMPUs news

Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, spent two days at McCallie in January in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. Gandhi is one of the world’s foremost speakers on non-violence and author of the book “Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence.”

He spoke to the Upper School and had lunch with students and faculty. He gave a similar talk to Middle School students the following day and signed copies of his book.

Highlights from his presentations included points on non-violence and lessons learned from his grandfather.

“We must become the change we wish to see in the world,” Dr. Gandhi said. Other nuggets of wisdom included: “Our goal in life should be to become a better human being.” “To turn the other cheek is more civilized.” “An eye for an eye makes the

whole world blind.” “We were very pleased that our school

community could salute Dr. King’s life and legacy by hearing from the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, a man whose vision and work served as an inspiration to Dr. King,” Headmaster Kirk Walker ’69 said. “Their message of hope and non-violence remains as important today as it was in the last century.”

One of the South’s top high school rivalries is heading back to The Ridge. The 2014 McCallie vs. Baylor football game will be played at Spears Stadium on McCallie’s home field. It will mark the first true home game for McCallie in the rivalry in 15 years. McCallie has hosted the game at Chatta-nooga’s 20,668-seat Finley Stadium during its turn as home team since 2000.

Traditionally, the rivalry has been an event enjoyed by the whole city. Games in the first 32 years of the series were played at the University of Chattanooga’s Chamberlain Field, as were eight of the next 10 when the competition was rekindled in 1971 following a 30-year hiatus.

From 1982-1999, the games were played on the school’s respective home fields. Although Baylor moved its games in the rivalry back to its campus in 2007, McCallie continued hosting the next three home games in the series at Finley.

The game will be McCallie’s first in the series with headmaster-elect Lee Burns ’87 leading the school.

“After assessing possible locations and consulting with the administrative team, we realized moving the game back to the McCallie campus is the right decision at this time,” Mr. Burns said. All McCallie and Girls Preparatory School students will have the opportunity to buy a ticket to the game. General admission tickets for McCallie parents and alumni will be made available beginning August 1. Baylor School will be provided an allotment of tickets to be distributed to its community. More information on ticket sales and parking will be provided in July.

arts

The theater department took on an ambitious performance of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in November.

The minimalist set production was performed in the round in the Walker Theater on campus.

McCallie’s first crack at Shakespeare in decades starred senior John Eric Miller as Hamlet.

Other featured performers included Jones Kolbinsky as Claudius, Stephen Hart as Polonius, Daniel Condrey as Horatio, Carter Harbin as Laertes, Tyler Harris as Ghost, Jameson Barnes as Rosenbrantz, Harrison Holmes as Guildenstern and Walt Buzzini as Player Queen and Gravedigger. The theater department is under the direction of Stevie Ray Dallimore and John Lambert.

Also in the cast were GPS students Jackie Kliner as Gertrude and Cameron Ford as Ophelia.

athletiCs

After eight years and more than 130 wins as head coach of the varsity basketball team, Dan Wadley is stepping away from his coaching role.

Coach Wadley will remain at McCallie in another capacity. “I have worked with young people my entire life, and I still have some great years left,” he said. “I am not leaving McCallie, and I have asked the administration to reassign me to some needed areas where I can continue to impact young people’s lives.”

Wadley coached 31 seasons at the varsity level, most of them at Tennessee Temple Academy in Chattanooga with the last eight years at McCallie. He collected 604 career victories. His record with the Blue Tornado was 132-82, and his teams finished runner-up in the State Tournament in 2011 and made the semifinals two additional times.

Former UT-Chattanooga head coach John Shulman has been hired to coach the varsity.

Dr. Arun Gandhi

John Eric Miller (left) and Jackie Kliner.

Dan Wadley



CaMPUs l iFe

Doing Their Parts for the Arts

“Let Beauty Awaken,” a nonprofi t venture started by senior Thomas West with the help of senior Ralston Hartness, was developed to provide funding for arts programs for Chattanooga-area public schools.

Accomplished musicians themselves – Thomas a classically-trained vocalist and Ralston a skilled guitarist – they each realized a void in the arts education upon visits to a local public school.

“It was fun to play for the students and see their smiling faces,” Thomas said of his first trip to a nearby middle school. “You could tell they were appreciative. They had just gotten their first keyboard, and I realized how little arts exposure they have.”

As a youngster, Thomas was a member of the Atlanta Boys Choir and performed on three international tours with the group. His family moved to Chattanooga prior to his eighth-grade year so he could attend McCallie. A baritone, he has worked with Dr. Lew Cisto, Chair of McCallie’s Music Department, and has sung with the chorus and ensemble. He played leading roles in two school musicals, “Les Miserables” and “Footloose.”

In 2012, Thomas was invited to perform on National Public Radio’s “From the Top,” a prestigious national radio program that showcases select young musicians. He considers that, he says, a groundbreaking personal achievement.

“I think of it as my first big break,” he

says. “To get on that show as a sophomore was a big honor. It can propel you to a career as a professional artist and as an arts leader.”

The day of the local school visit, Thomas saw a video of other “From the Top” alumni which stressed the importance of being an arts advocate and

giving back. He wondered if a lack of arts programs and resources were problems throughout Chattanooga. His elaborate “Let Beauty Awaken” concept was born.

“I wanted to raise money for arts programs in public schools and get resources back to the programs,” he says. “I didn’t know what it would take, but I knew it wasn’t a one-person job.”

Thomas also wished young people had more opportunities to express their art. He decided to produce a music CD with various genres of music performed by local students.

The idea, it turned out, was the easy part. He soon learned he needed countless other pieces to pull off the fundraiser, including a recording studio and an account to deposit the funds. He also needed assistance and brought Ralston on board in March of 2013.

Auditions were in August. Thirty student performers tried out for what Thomas and Ralston had predetermined were 14 tracks on the CD. They disallowed pop, rock, rap and country music at the auditions to encourage more traditional and classical forms. Three judges scored the auditions to award the top 14 spots.

“Classically-trained musicians have less of an opportunity to showcase their music and talents,” Ralston says. “We were very satisfied with the variety of the students who auditioned.”

Ralston and McCallie’s Guitar Quartet were also privileged to perform on “From

the Top” in January 2014. Like Thomas, Ralston conducted a music workshop at some local public schools.

“You could tell the children loved music but didn’t know what classical music was,” he says. “It was a joy to see their willingness to invest in something they weren’t familiar with even for just an hour.”

Step two of the fundraiser was a concert to release the CD. Held in November 2013, it featured two well-known local bands, The Dismembered Tennesseans and the WTM Band, as well as six performers from the CD. Attendance at the event, Thomas says, was better than expected, and he called the concert “amazing.”

Prior to January 1, the “Let Beauty Awaken” project had raised $16,000. The founder’s goal is $20,000.

At the event, Thomas and Ralston announced future plans for the project. With each soon headed to college, they plan to keep it moving forward. The program will now be called “ReGenerate” and be facilitated by ArtsBuild in Chattanooga. It will be run by students from 10 or 11 schools, and monies raised will be distributed through a grant process.

“We’ve been given so much, and once we started to see that, we realized that we had a responsibility to make a difference,” Ralston says. “For us not to start this project and be art advocates would be, in a way, cheating the kids in public schools.”

a passion for music and the arts has propelled two McCallie students to lead a charge to ensure the arts are essential in local children’s education.

Thomas West, left, and Ralston Hartness, right, received help with the project from two Baylor students.



Outside the Classroom

CaMPUs l iFe



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do. I get paid for what I love; that’s pretty cool. I thrive from the daily interactions in the classroom and dorm, so much so that I have no immediate plans to retire.

Q Did your family adapt to the dormitory lifestyle?

My wife Susan and I agree. Although it’s not a life for everyone, for us it was a constant family camp. We’ve met lifelong great friends among all the boarding families we’ve worked with. Additionally, our grown kids can hardly go anywhere without running into McCallie connections in Birmingham and Mobile and wherever they travel. Even our daughter’s father-in-law Mack Binion ’65 is a McCallie grad. And all of Hadley’s friends at Bright School and GPS thought she had a great deal growing up at a boys’ school. Still, dorm families’ kids and spouses do have to share their McCallie parent with students quite often. So again, it’s not a lifestyle for everyone.

Q What is the mission of the Caldwell Writing Center?

Part of this would certainly be to foster greater writing skills with language, but I also hope we increase their love of the written word (reading), which figures prominently in their maturity as writers. Yet as much as I love the classroom and the depth of discussion that goes on with any good work of literature, it’s the one-on-one writing sessions where real writing growth takes place. That’s where the “aha” moment occurs. And I think that’s always been true in education, that the best learning happens one-on-one. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fun I have seeing so many other disciplines in this writing area; sure, English classes are in here the most, but within the last two weeks, history, science, foreign language and even college guidance groups have used this area to work on various writing skills. And I’d be omitting something important by not mentioning the Writing Fellows, an elective course selected seniors take to work harder on different kinds of writing – flash fiction, collaborative novel writing as well as non-fiction and poetry. I hope the Writing Center is a place to go for those who enjoy language and want to keep learning how to use it more effectively.

Q Is there a story behind your enrollment as a

student at McCallie?My father was flying with a

Chattanooga resident to an FCA board meeting, and they started talking about schools for their kids. I was a student at St. Andrews in Boca Raton, Fla., at the time (1969), and the gentleman told Dad about McCallie and what an exceptional school it was. I was the typical “falling through the cracks” kind of kid, and a change of environment intrigued our family. I never visited or saw this place, just enrolled in the fall of 1970 as a junior boarding student, the first year after the military program ended.

Q What is your fondest memory from your school days at McCallie?

The boarding experience. In Florida, I commuted 30 minutes each way to school and never really had many friends. But when I arrived at McCallie, I met the likes of James Brown ’72, Bobby Evans ’72, Bill Brooks ’72 and many others who’ve remained friends to this day.

Q What drew you to the education fi eld?Oddly enough, prayer more than

anything else. One day in 1978 back home, my mother asked me: “What do you love doing the most?” My answer – reading novels and teaching/coaching kids. We then had a prayer time, and that seemed the end of it. Soon after, I received a letter from Curtis Baggett ’65 asking if I would be interested in joining McCallie’s admission team. I couldn’t help but feel some divine direction pointing me toward McCallie. That, plus the fact that the two best years of my life were my junior and senior years on the Ridge.

Q Was teaching at McCallie for 35 years or more part of your original plan?

Absolutely not. I was the proverbial “I’ll try this for a few years and see which job this leads me to next” person. But God weaved our decisions and circumstances together into something we had no clue we’d be a part of. I look back to that callow young man Spencer McCallie ’55 hired in 1979 and cringe a bit. But I, like everyone else, have definitely changed. I wake up each morning and say an unconscious prayer of gratitude to God that I get to work with the boys and colleagues that I

FacultySpotlightChet lesourd ’72, director of the Caldwell writing Center, is a longtime dorm head who has mentored McCallie boys since 1979.

Chet LeSourd ’72 with seniors Tommy Ellis (blue vest) and Hamilton Heald (black jacket) in the Caldwell Writing Center.



a new Upper school building dedicated to science and technology is on the horizon.

CaMPUs l iFe

For more than a century, academic excellence and character development have been at the heart of a McCallie education. The abil-ity of boys to communicate, to think criti-cally and to solve problems creatively re-mains essential.

In a world where change is accelerating and the competition is global, McCallie recognizes that enhanced skills will be required and that two key areas will be at the forefront: science and technology.

Over the past 18 months, the school has been quietly campaigning to raise money for a new science facility. It is close to reaching the fundraising goal ($12.85 million on a $14.2 million goal). McCallie hopes to break ground and begin construction in late spring or early summer. If all goes as planned, the 40,000 square-foot academic facility dedicated to science, technology and engineering will open in January 2016 – the first new Upper School academic building in almost 40 years. Once completed, this building will transform the campus experience, expanding the classroom possibilities not only in the sciences but across the curriculum.

McCallie Board Chairman Elliott Davenport ’78 announced Feb. 27 to the campus community that the Board voted unanimously and energetically to name this new building “Walker Hall” in honor of Headmaster Kirk Walker ’69, who is retiring at the end of this school year.

“When Dr. Walker accepted the offer to lead McCallie into the 21st Century, his tenure followed 90 years under the legendary guidance of the McCallie family,” Mr. Davenport said. “The pressure and expectations of such a transition would be difficult for anyone, yet he managed to keep the school on the right path and build upon a foundation that values educating the whole boy. It is my firm belief that no one else could have stepped in under those

circumstances and accomplished what Kirk has managed in his 15 years on the Ridge.”

Maclellan Academic Building on the northeast corner of the campus was designed for 250 science students instead of the current number of 650 in the Upper School. While the science faculty has increased, the space in the facility is inadequate to increase the school’s offerings or expand the way in which science is taught. McCallie wants to raise the bar on instruction by more directly engaging its students in doing the actual work of scientists rather than just in learning about science.

The Internet has a constant impact on students’ lives today. Their capacity to teach themselves and then teach others moves

Artist’s rendering of Walker Hall, set for completion in 2016.

at a faster pace than any new course can be developed and offered. For these students, it is an issue of opportunity and access.

McCallie’s goal is to make available to students some of the most sophisticated equipment and software available. Walker Hall will allow spaces where students will be free to explore advanced robotics, video production, animation, engineering and architectural design, as well as learn programming code and app development.

With this new, well-designed facility, Walker Hall, McCallie will have the space and the flexibility necessary to inspire the next generation of scientists with hands-on academics.

those interested in supporting the walker hall project should contact director of development Penny Grant at 423-493-5621 or [email protected].

the Vision

Proposed view of a biology lab room in Walker Hall.


M c c a l l i e M a g a z i n e | 1 0 | S P R i n g 2 0 1 4

CoVer FeatUre

after 15 years leading one of the south’s top independent schools, headmaster Kirk walker ’69 will step into retirement following this school year.

The Legacy

after 15 years leading one of the south’s top independent

of a Leader



One of the most meaningful traditions at the McCallie School happens during Com-mencement exercises. As the names of the graduates are read, they receive their diplomas and then walk across the stage to shake the hand of the headmaster as he welcomes them into the ‘long blue line of McCallie Men.’

May 18, 2014, marks the final McCallie Commencement for Headmaster R. Kirk Walker ’69 as he sends off the Class of 2014 with the tools to tackle the next stage in their lives, an encouraging word and the promise of a lifetime of brotherhood. He is retiring at the end of this school year.

Commencement has a very personal meaning for him as he reflects on his own McCallie graduation in 1969 (he gave the valedictory address) as well as those of his sons Rob, 1999, and Whit, 2002. His daughter Caroline graduated from Girls Preparatory School in 2004.

His McCallie career began on February 1, 1963 when he received a letter accepting him into the seventh grade.

“The next six years were some of the most important in my life,” he says. “The school helped to shape my character, my sense of honor and my commitment to service. It challenged me to be my best, and it inspired me to be a lifelong learner. Of course, it also taught me how to shine my shoes for the daily military inspection.”

A Career in EducationDr. Walker’s early career ambitions

were to be either a lawyer or a journalist. He remembers fondly his work as editor of the eight-page, monthly student newspaper, “The Tornado,” and the sense

of accomplishment he received as he met deadlines and it went to press.

But his experiences with great teachers ultimately led him in a different direction.

“Over time, I realized that the interactions in the classroom between teachers and students could be life-changing,” he says. “They had been for me, and I felt that I was called to continue to be a part of that, even if it was on the other side of the desk.”

One would think that a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina could write his own ticket in the job market.

“I sent out 120 applications,” Dr. Walker says with a laugh. “For several days, I was getting rejection letters faster than I could type new applications. In the end, I received three inquiries and one offer.”

His first teaching job was at a school in Nashville where he taught English and speech and worked with the debate team. He also coached football and track and anything else they asked him to do.

School administrators suggested he work on a master’s degree which led to a doctorate and eventually a job as a Secondary Supervisor with the Ft. Campbell, Ky., School System.

“At a school system on an Army post where the rate of student and faculty turnover was extremely high, I learned that being able to engage students quickly was the key,” he says.

His career as a headmaster began in an atypical way. He received a letter from an acquaintance in Chattanooga that said, “If you are willing to be considered as headmaster of Bright School, do nothing.”

“That is what it said, honestly,” he says. “So I decided to do nothing; and the rest, as they say, is history.

“It was a great opportunity. It was a wonderful job that led to another wonderful job. I really feel like I was called to all three of the significant jobs that I’ve done in my life.”

A Leader of SchoolsDr. Walker accepted the position

of Headmaster at Bright School in Chattanooga in 1982. Bright is a co-ed day school for pre-K through sixth-grade students. He returned to Nashville in 1990 as the Headmaster at Ensworth School, leading the K-8 co-ed day school.

While in Nashville, he was serving on the McCallie Board of Trustees when Spencer J. McCallie III ’55 announced his retirement.

“I never really thought about applying for the job at McCallie. I was very happy and my family was very happy in Nashville. I was also confident that they had lots of outstanding candidates for the position. So when the head of the search committee called me and asked me to apply, I assumed that they just needed someone to swell the crowd. I told him, ‘I will do it because McCallie asked.’”

CoVer FeatUre



CoVer FeatUre

Dr. Walker was hired by his alma mater in 1999 to take over the leadership of the school. A unique element about his appointment to McCallie, which was not lost on alumni and friends, was that he would be the first administrator outside the school’s founding family to fill this role. He was also stepping into the large shoes worn by popular Headmaster Spencer III, grandson of one of the founding fathers and Headmaster on the Ridge for 25 years from 1974 to 1999.

If Dr. Walker felt any apprehension at all, he never let it show.

“On one level, I tried not to think about it too much,” he says. “I felt that I’d been called to do this. I decided I would give it my best shot and see what would happen. I knew that statistically anyone following a long-term head and lasting more than

three or four years was fairly rare. I expected that might be the case for me.”

That forecast couldn’t have been more off. The school continues to thrive under Dr. Walker. Over his 15-year tenure, McCallie has added a sixth grade class level, expanded enrollment by 30 percent and enlarged the campus grounds from 105 acres to 140. Under his leadership, the school has raised $57 million in new capital and $65 million in planned estate gifts, and

the annual fund has increased by more than 90 percent.

Mr. McCallie is quick to praise Dr. Walker and his achievements.

“I have known hundreds of heads of very good schools during my decades in several headmaster associations and as a board member of four independent school associations,” he says. “Occasionally, there was a consensus that the long-term good work of one head had been diminished by his or her successor, to the great regret of the alumni and to the dismay of the retired headmaster.

“I have had the great pleasure of seeing McCallie prosper in every way under Kirk and his Board of Trustees. I have enjoyed hearing about progress and new programs on every front. Parents, alumni and faculty have given me glowing reports, and I was thrilled with the recent McCallie experience of my grandson (Spencer

Gardner ’12). I know that the McCallie family headmasters before me would agree that Kirk Walker has enhanced our legacy.”

That legacy has been very important for Dr. Walker.

“I remember when I was interviewed for the position, people would ask me ‘what is your vision for the school?’” he says. My answer then is still my answer now. McCallie has a powerful and clear mission. My vision is to advance that mission, to help to translate it for the next generation of students, to assist in setting goals and to provide encouragement and support for those individuals who make that mission a reality every day. I have felt privileged to be part of moving the legacy forward.”

ChangesOf all the changes that have been made

during Dr. Walker’s tenure, the facilities are the most obvious. McCallie has added a dining hall, an indoor tennis complex and two dormitories under his watch, along with the renovations of multiple facilities. Construction will begin this summer on a new science, technology and engineering building in the heart of campus which will fittingly be named “Walker Hall.” (See page 9)

“While all of the projects have been important for the school, I have been particularly pleased about the Dining Hall and the enhancements to the Chapel,” he says. “Both are such important spaces for fostering community.”

Other changes are less obvious. The curriculum has expanded. Courses have been added in drama, robotics, sculpture, Biblical ethics, Chinese, German, advanced A look at school highlights and

facility growth on the McCallie campus during Dr. Kirk Walker’s tenure as headmaster.

Dr. Walker with Spencer J. McCallie III ’55

experience of my grandson (Spencer been added in drama, robotics, sculpture, Biblical ethics, Chinese, German, advanced A look at school highlights and

dr. robert Kirk walker ’69 is named headmaster of McCallie.

McCallie enrolls its fi rst class of sixth graders as it opens $7 million Mcdonald hall, the new home of the middle school.

McCallie/GPs Coordinate Program replaces regular campus exchange of students with special co-ed courses, roundtables, summer programs, and academic retreats.

1999 2000 2001

the argonaut is named “Best Multi-issue high school literary Magazine by the american scholastic Press association.

McCallie’s football team joins seven other school teams (cross-country, climbing, debate, swimming, crew, wrestling and lacrosse) in claiming state championships in 2001-2002.

2002 2003

McCallie’s enrollment has grown to 880, including 231 boarding students from 17 states and four foreign countries. Forty-six boarders are honors scholars.

2004

the school’s new $7 million, 32,000-square-foot dining hall is dedicated. it

will serve as the “living room” of the campus community.

thirty-three students are named national Merit semifi nalists or

receive national Merit Commendation.

ridgedale Gym is converted to a theater, providing a new home for

the drama department.

McCallie begins a series of events celebrating the school’s 2005 Centennial Year.

2005 2006 2007

the two-story Pressly dormitory, named for former headmaster

dr. Bill Pressly is completed in 2007. it has beds for 56 boys and

four faculty apartments.

the Cline strength & Fitness Center is renovated. over 7,000 square feet of lifting space and 25,000

pounds of weight gives McCallie one of the top weight rooms in the country.

a newly-renovated McCallie Chapel opened its doors in september. Most noticeably, an extended balcony

added 125 seats to the facility.



mathematics and guitar. Additionally, a Saturday enrichment program was initiated for boarding students.

Beyond facilities and the curriculum, he notes how the students themselves have changed. “I am very impressed with the way our students treat each other; with respect and encouragement. I’d like to believe that I played some role in encouraging an environment in which that happens.”

Perhaps the most trying challenges of his time at McCallie occurred because of the nation’s financial crisis in 2008. The school’s endowment declined by 25 percent, and parents were losing their jobs or, at the least, had diminished resources.

Virtually every independent school in the country was affected by the shaky economy. Many schools chose to downsize personnel, students or financial aid, or to reduce all three areas. Guided by a steady mind, a diligent spirit and a strong administrative team, Dr. Walker steered McCallie through the rapids of a recession, and did so without sacrificing jobs or students.

“I decided we needed to make a commitment to people,” he says. “We would remain committed to the faculty, and we would remain committed to the students. The faculty was our greatest asset, and the students were our future. We had already invested a lot of time and love in them. The challenge was to find more resources and to make the right cuts.”

Budgets were adjusted, and early retirement incentives offered. Salaries were virtually frozen, and professional development opportunities were limited. The annual fund had to fill more gaps than usual. Luck, he says, also played a role.

“Our team was able to work together to make it through some very difficult financial times,” he says. “To do that without losing faculty and students and continuing to keep the doors open for talented and deserving boys from families with modest means was important to all of us.”

Other InterestsGiven the 24/7 nature of his job, many

might assume that Dr. Walker does not have a life beyond the campus. This is not the case. He has been involved in a variety of community activities. He teaches a Sunday School class at First-Centenary United Methodist Church. He has a long-term involvement with Chambliss Home for Children and has served as a board member and also as chairman.

He has also served as a trustee and treasurer of the Southern Literary Alliance (formerly Arts and Education).

He currently serves as Chair of the Southern Association of Independent Schools Board. For well over a decade, he has been actively involved as a trustee with the SAIS. As Chair of the Accreditation Committee, he oversaw the revamping of the process by which schools are accredited. Along the way, he served on more than 25 accreditation school visits.

“I believe in the process of peer-to-peer review and in the advantages of school’s

undergoing a self-study,” he says. “We can always get better. Schools are no different. It has been very satisfying to be part of a process that improves the educational experience of thousands of students by helping schools improve.”

On a personal side, he enjoys time with his family, travel and reading. He has had the opportunity to visit 23 countries. His favorite novel is “All the King’s Men.”

“I read it for the first time in the 11th grade at McCallie,” he says. “It is a wonderful study of power and the various forms that it can take. Sometimes a force for good and sometimes not. And sometimes a force for good wrapped in less than positive motives. My favorite non-fiction is McCullough’s “Path Between the Seas,” a fascinating story about how it took the vision and determination of multiple people to bring the Panama Canal to completion. It was a team effort. No one individual had all the answers to the engineering puzzle.”

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The annual fund had to fill more gaps than usual. Luck, he says, also played a role.

“I believe in the process of peer-to-peer review and in the advantages of school’s engineering puzzle.”

2007 2008

the Cline strength & Fitness Center is renovated. over 7,000 square feet of lifting space and 25,000

pounds of weight gives McCallie one of the top weight rooms in the country.

a newly-renovated McCallie Chapel opened its doors in september. Most noticeably, an extended balcony

added 125 seats to the facility.

2009

new 3d astroturf artifi cial play-ing surface installed at spears stadium, allowing for soccer and lacrosse competition, as well as football.

McCallie claimed its ninth lacrosse state Championship in the program’s 20-year existence and its fourth consecutive tennis state Championship.

Jordan thomas ’07 was selected a Cnn top 10 hero for 2009.

the Class of 2010 produced 169 graduates, marking the largest graduating class in McCallie history. 56 percent of the class will continue their education with the assistance of merit scholarships.

Burns hall, the new 28-room student dormitory adjacent to Pressly hall, is dedicated.

“raising Men” sculpture, by artist don haugen, housed between the dining hall and Burns and Pressly halls unveiled at a ceremony on nov. 11, 2010.

2010 2011 2012

Curtis Baggett ’65 was honored for his 30-year career in

fundraising by the Council for advancement and support of

education. he established the school’s fi rst major gifts pro-

gram, directed the 2nd Century Campaign, which raised $175

million in six years, surpassing a 10-year, $125 million goal.

the annual sustaining Fund raises $3 million, providing 10 percent of the operating budget. donors can now focus their gifts to the budgeted area that is most meaningful to them personally.

the new $3.1 million strang-Voges tennis Center is unveiled. the new facility features six indoor courts and two new outdoor courts to bring the total to 16 courts on campus.

2013

dr. robert Kirk walker ’69 retires from his position after serving as headmaster for

15 years.

Candlelight celebrates its 30th anniversary.

2014



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FamilyThe McCallie community serves as an

extended family to every student who walks the campus, especially its boarding population. The function of family, both school-related and immediate, has been central to Dr. Walker during his career.

The past 15 years marked the first time Dr. Walker, Patsi, his wife of 34 years, and the children lived on campus as part of a school’s residential community. Both parents termed the experience “wonderful.”

“It has been interesting for me to live in and be a part of this community and watch those who have bought into the mission and really try to make a difference in the lives of young men,” Mrs. Walker says. “They have chosen to make this a career. I am impressed with the integrity and genuineness of the whole community. As a wife, you have to buy into it too. When I see the young women who are raising their

families here on campus, that is a tribute to the school and to the community. It has been a real blessing.”

Dr. Walker grew up on the east side of Missionary Ridge, near the school property. He and Mrs. Walker are refurbishing a house near that same area and plan to move in after the school year. But he has enjoyed being able to walk to his office daily and eat dinner at the dining hall a few nights a week. Especially, he says, on pot roast nights and fresh-baked cookie Fridays.

“Part of the reason I was drawn to this job was that my oldest son was a four-year boarder and had been embraced by the larger McCallie family,” he says. “The experience of living on campus for our other two children has been life-changing. The community has also been very nurturing and supportive of my wife. In turn, she has done a remarkable job of pulling together that community as well.”

The End of an EraDr. Walker announced his retirement

Jan. 30, 2013, 17 months in advance of his last official day which will be June 30, 2014. Thinking only of McCallie till the end, the early notice afforded the Trustees sufficient time to conduct a national search and to set the table for the next headmaster.

Dr. Walker will ensure a smooth transition for incoming headmaster Arthur Lee Burns III ’87. Like Dr. Walker, Mr. Burns was a student leader at McCallie and brings experience as a headmaster at an independent lower school.

“We have already started that process,” he says. “I’ve invited Lee to be involved in several kinds of discussions. We’ve had him here to speak at as many of the day parent coffees as possible simply because I wanted those who were trying to decide about McCallie to get to know the person who would be the head when their son was here.

“I’m also in the process of trying to make sure that the information I provide for him in terms of policies and reports and a variety of other things is as clean and organized as much as possible. I’m hoping he can hit the ground running which will be good for McCallie.”

Soon his books will be boxed, along with the Mickey Mouse clock, the family photos, his die-cast car collection and the countless trinkets from his foreign travel that fill the office shelves. The artwork will be removed from his walls.

As he reflects on his final weeks as headmaster, the memories he has made become more meaningful. It’s the people, he says, which he will miss the most.

“I will definitely miss the teachers, the staff, the students, and the parents; I will miss working with the Trustees,” he says. “Every day has been different in its own way, sometimes very challenging. Other days have just been very joyful. But at the end of the day, it is really about the people. When I watch some of our faculty work and watch what some of our students do, it just inspires and impresses me. I feel lucky that I been privileged to be in their company.” g

Dr. Walker and Patsi (front); (Back L-R): Rob ’99, Rob’s wife Lisa, Caroline (GPS ’04) and Whit Walker ’02

“I have had the great pleasure of seeing McCallie prosper in every way under Kirk and his Board of Trustees . . . I know that

the McCallie family headmasters before me would agree that Kirk Walker has enhanced

our legacy. ” SPENCER J. MCCALLIE III ’55



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With Our Complimentsselected alumni, colleagues and friends have submitted tributes in honor of dr. walker’s retirement.

“Dr. Walker has strengthened the curriculum, programs, facilities and finances while staying true to our mission and great traditions. He has led our school with vision, courage and a steady hand during challenging and dynamic times, and the strength and character of the school are the fruits of his hard work, thoughtful leadership and splendid character.”Lee Burns ’87, Incoming Headmaster

“I was three years ahead of Kirk at McCallie, but he graduated from Chapel Hill ahead of me. We were Trustees together in the mid-1990s, and I was a member of the search committee when Spencer retired. That committee made two especially good decisions: first, we convinced Kirk to resign from the Board and submit his name as candidate for Headmaster, and second, we hired him! He inherited a very stable place and improved and expanded it. Kirk has a lovely management style: he’s a quiet, determined, thoughtful and collaborative “builder.” I am grateful for his leadership and will miss him.”L. Hardwick Caldwell III ’66, Board Chair (2010-13)

“Dr. Walker has dedicated his life to ensuring young people are prepared for the future, and his guidance and leadership at McCallie over the past 15 years has touched countless lives. I thank him for his years of service and wish him and Patsi all the best in his retirement.”U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, former Chattanooga Mayor

“In Kirk Walker, McCallie hit the jackpot! With his strong abilities and judgment, his incredible work ethic and impeccable character, the school united under his leadership, making a seamless transition out of what could have turned out quite differently. McCallie has moved ahead since Dr. Walker stepped foot on campus as Headmaster. In fact, the smooth

transition led and enabled by Dr. Walker may likely go down in school history as one of McCallie’s finest hours.”Hal Daughdrill ’73, Board Chair (2000-05)

“When Kirk accepted the offer to lead McCallie into the 21st Century, his tenure followed 90 years under the legendary guidance of the McCallie family. The pressure and expectations of such a transition would be difficult for anyone, yet Kirk managed to keep the school on the right path and build upon a foundation that values educating the whole boy. It is my belief that no one could have stepped in under those circumstances and accomplished what Kirk has.

“Kirk has been confronted with all the challenges you would expect: motivating faculty and staff, building the endowment, maintaining a full enrollment and unexpected financial challenges. Still, he never waivered or lost his sense of mission. Kirk’s calm and measured demeanor, his quiet but assured insights, his ability to grasp the complexities of the job and school, gave McCallie the leader it needed. Kirk was the right man at the right time, and his impact on the school will always be valued.”Elliott Davenport ’78, Board Chair (2013-15)

“This is what comes to mind when I think of our marvelous headmaster, Dr. Kirk Walker:1. He has great judgment about situations, people and timing. He was never flustered, always upbeat, took his time to get things right. He was willing to invest when needed and cut when needed. He led, inspired and let his team implement.2. He has great character and values. He lived the McCallie mission and values, especially our motto and Honor, Truth, Duty. He was very balanced, fair, even-handed. He affirmed everyone, but not in an obsequious way. He told the truth as he believed it.

“Kirk was just the right man at the right time to lead McCallie into its second century!”Ed Michaels ’60, Board Chair (2005-08)

“Kirk, you have guided the school through an important era with care and grace. Your leadership extends the high standard we have all learned to expect as boys are molded into men who will make contributions to society in the McCallie tradition.”Olan Mills II ’48

“Though Kirk has become spectacularly accomplished, in many ways he has not changed since our school days. He remains caring, thoughtful, generously-spirited and wise. He makes difficult decisions that will help as much as possible and not hurt. He has always been modest, and that may be one of the secrets of his leadership. McCallie could not have had a better leader move it into the 21st Century while not forsaking the commitment to “man’s chief end” and the emphasis on the special needs of educating boys to become young men. All of us who love McCallie are grateful to Kirk and Patsi.”Don Morton ’69

“Kirk Walker is an excellent and effective leader. He builds teamwork by being an active listener and by remaining focused on the greater good and task at hand. I have heard him say many times, “I want the best idea, plan or solution to come to the forefront. It certainly doesn’t have to be mine.” His steady hand, patience and amazing ability to stay “out of the weeds,” as he likes to say, have led to some remarkable accomplishments. He most certainly was the ideal person to lead McCallie during the challenging economic times the country has faced.”Kenny Sholl, Associate Headmaster/ Upper School Head

“Dr. Walker has truly been an outstanding leader for the school through both good and extremely difficult financial times. While his many campus improvements are a testament and easily recognizable, his primary gift for all of us has been his ability to foster meaningful personal relationships with faculty, students, Board members and community. He and Patsi will be missed. We wish for them the best.”David Stonecipher ’59, Board Chair (2008-10)

“I’d like to extend my sincerest congratulations to fellow McCallie School alumnus and outgoing headmaster Dr. Kirk Walker on his successful 15-year tenure at our beloved alma mater. McCallie undoubtedly provided me with the tools necessary for career success – an invaluable education, structure and a supportive community – and for that, I’m eternally grateful. I’m equally grateful for individuals like Kirk, who have dedicated themselves to leading and enhancing McCallie’s student, faculty and alumni communities, and in effect, making us even more proud to be McCallie men.”Ted Turner ’56 g



alUMni news

Tragedy to TriumphJordan Thomas ’07 takes his stance in the tee box, his golf spikes dimple the green ground beneath him. A driver in hand, his backswing is nearly perfect, and his body uncoils with a rhythmic beauty that launches a golf ball about 320 yards down the fairway.

The average driving distance of a golf ball on the Professional Golfers Association tour is around 290 yards. Mr. Thomas’ ambition to play golf professionally was temporarily derailed in 2005. That summer, while vacationing in the Florida Keys with his family, he lost both his legs below the knees in a scuba diving accident.

In the water preparing to dive, Mr. Thomas was swept toward the motorized propellers. The color of the water quickly turned red, alerting his parents, Drs. Liz and Victor Thomas, that something was wrong.

They quickly pulled him into the boat and rushed him to the nearest hospital. The speed of their actions, and the fact that both are surgeons, likely saved his life.

Today, Mr. Thomas is able to walk with the help of prosthetics, or artificial limbs. While going through the month-and-a-half-long rehabilitation process and learning to use his new mechanical legs, he befriended several children with similar needs as himself. Many, he learned, could not afford a prosthetic device and the maintenance it required. It was there, in the hospital at age 16, when he became determined that his life-changing accident would lead him to change the lives of others.

“I realized that there were other children in the hospital who would not have the advantages I did and who would go home without the limbs they needed to have a full, active and happy life,” he says of forming the Jordan Thomas Foundation. Its mission is to provide children affected by limb loss with the prostheses they need throughout childhood and adolescence and serve as a caring resource, advocate and support system for them and their families.

The Thomases spent $24,000 on Jordan’s first pair of prostheses. Insurance companies

usually will not pay more than $5,000 for prosthetic legs in a person’s lifetime. The devices range in price from $8,000 to as much as $125,000. Children can outgrow a prosthetic every 18-24 months. According to the Amputee Coalition of America, there are nearly 2 million amputees in the United States, and at least 25,000 of those are children.

Since its beginnings in 2005, the JTF has been a full provider of prosthetics for nine children. Mr. Thomas and the Foundation’s Board review applications, checking a family’s medical and financial records to ensure the need is legitimate. The extensive review process pinpoints a deserving child who will be cared for under the JTF umbrella until he or she turns 18 years of age.

“What I am really committed to is helping children until they are adults,” Mr. Thomas says. “We are not just a one-time provider for kids. We want to make sure they have access to prosthetics through their whole childhood. It doesn’t sound like a lot of kids, but we allocate around $200,000 per child to be sure we honor our side of the deal financially.”

One of the JTF beneficiaries, a young girl named Samantha, was able to attend a climbing camp and a horseback riding camp courtesy of the Foundation, in addition to the prostheses and care she will receive through her young-adult years. Another, a young and active boy named Noah, requested a foot with a split toe in order to wear sandals like his parents. He also received a waterproof leg which allows him to swim and play at his favorite water park.

“We are so thankful to the Jordan Thomas Foundation for its continued support with Samantha’s prosthesis,” her family says.

The smile from a prosthetic recipient is all the thanks Mr. Thomas needs and is enough for him to continue the generous work he does.

“It is just euphoric,” he says with a sigh. “It transcends words altogether. A lot of people donated money and energy to make this happen, and by no means do you do

a horrific personal accident has driven Jordan thomas ’07 to a life of compassion and generosity toward those less fortunate than himself.

Jordan Thomas ’07 with Samantha, one of the children receiving assistance from the Jordan Thomas Foundation.



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this to get a pat on the back. Seeing a child take their first step makes it all worthwhile. Luna is a young girl who took her first step ever with a prosthetic from my foundation. You just think about the alternative and what would be happening in their lives if they didn’t have access to that prosthetic. It’s extremely gratifying work. I always want to help more, to raise more money and to give back more. It is the most meaningful and special thing in my life.”

Mr. Thomas’ work has not gone unnoticed. He estimates he has granted over 100 interviews, ranging from “Larry King Live” to the Golf Channel. He has been the recipient of the International Youth in Philanthropy Award and the National Courage Award. He was selected as one of 10 Heroes in 2009 by CNN and honored at a star-studded, black-tie event in Hollywood.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which affected an estimated 3 million people, provided another opportunity for the JTF to get involved.

“We doubled the size of the prosthetic lab there, with the help of a McCallie fundraiser,” he says. “We helped countless numbers of Haitians get prosthetics. There were a profound number of amputations after the quake. We provided six prosthetics per week for Haitians using Red Cross kits, which were $250 each for below-the-knee amputees.”

The more affordable prostheses from the Red Cross have opened doors for the Foundation and will allow more opportunities to expand the mission globally.

“We are looking at the amount of impact we can have internationally because of the Red Cross kits,” he says. “We get a lot of international requests and are really able to stretch our dollar using these abroad. It is astonishing to see how many are walking in Haiti because of the help of the Foundation.”

Another goal for the JTF is to raise awareness to the Prosthetic and Custom Orthotic Parity Act. Currently, only 18 states provide medical and surgical benefits and coverage for an individual’s prosthetics or custom orthotics. Tennessee is not one

of those. The bill was introduced in 2010 to provide parity under group health plans and group health insurance coverage for those facing amputations. As the Amputee Coalition states, “arms and legs are not a luxury. They are a necessity.”

Mr. Thomas hopes to help in the fight for legislation which would eliminate insurance caps and out-of-pocket expenditures for amputees.

Serving as founder and chairman of one’s own foundation carries with it many responsibilities. Mr. Thomas has handled these tasks while attending high school and college. Upon completing rehabilitation, he returned to McCallie School, played on the golf team and graduated with his classmates in 2007. He enrolled at the College of Charleston before earning his degree in international business in 2013 from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. In September 2013, Mr. Thomas accepted a job with a German solar energy company and moved to the European nation for several months of training before returning to the States.

“It certainly required some time management,” he says of running the Foundation while in school. “It was very time consuming trying to balance school work, social life, the foundation, meetings and interviews. But it is extremely rewarding work. At the end of the day, if the worst thing I can complain about is my lack of time, then I’m doing pretty well.”

Mr. Thomas credits his parents and McCallie for instilling in him the traits of giving back and helping others. But the Foundation does not work without donations and fundraising. The JTF holds one fundraiser per year; a popular low-country boil and golf tournament in his hometown of Chattanooga. Additional funds are secured through generous donations.

While Mr. Thomas is a hero to the children he and his Foundation support, he

is also an inspiration to so many others who see him as a young man who uses a personal tragedy to make a difference in the lives of others who are less fortunate than himself.

“I struggled early on with people staring, looking and asking questions,” he says. “But I now realize that most people are not looking at me and making a value statement about my inherent value or saying ‘what a freak.’ Most are saying ‘wow, what an inspiration that person must be to overcome that.’

“You keep being you, and a lot of people look up to you. You put your pants on like everybody else and continue to do what you do and keep inspiring people because that’s what is valuable and that is what is important in life.”

“It is just euphoric . . . seeing a child take their first step makes it all worthwhile.” JORDAN THOMAS ’07

Jordan Thomas ’07 and Noah



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Still Undefeatedthis past year, McCallie’s Class of 1957 registered a perfect score.

All eligible members of the Class of ’57 participated in a 55th reunion class gift to the school’s Annual Sustaining Fund. That statistic – 100 percent class participation – had never been accomplished at McCallie. Now, it is a record that may be matched but will never be surpassed.

In commemoration of their 50th year reunion in 2007, the go-getters of the Class of ’57 raised $224,705 as a gift for the ASF, a figure that still stands.

“There will be a class that dwarfs that record,” says Bob Killebrew ’57. “But nobody will touch our participation record. It can’t be beaten.”

The secret to the Class of ’57’s giving record can be broken down into three integral factors: a strong contingent of the members have been getting together annually since 1998, it had a rallying figure in Joe Moss ’57, and it had a class character in David Milligan ’57.

“The Still Undefeated Class,” as the 57s like to be known, was featured in McCallie Magazine in the Fall 2012 issue as a group that stays connected to classmates and plans its own gatherings. A McCallie student for just his senior year, Mr. Milligan admitted in the article that he never felt a connection to the school. Still, he was

compelled to return for his 40-year reunion in 1997. There, he learned that former class president and big man on campus Joe Moss had been seriously injured and was unable to join his classmates.

Mr. Milligan suggested a trip to go see Mr. Moss the following year. Mr. Moss passed away in 1999, but since 1998, Mr. Milligan has organized an annual get-together and invited alums from the Classes of 1956, 1957 and 1958. The 2011 event included 20 alumni from the Class of ’57 and 13 from 1958.

“If the trips hadn’t been going on for several years, I promise we wouldn’t have been remotely as successful in reaching our reunion goals,” Mr. Killebrew says.

The 50-year reunion board chair for the 57s, Mr. Killebrew didn’t have much of a precedent from which to refer. The Class of ’57 was just the third-ever at McCallie to mount a 50th-year giving campaign in the young Reunion Giving Program.

“We knew the Class of ’56 had raised a certain amount, so we thought we could beat that, and we did,” Mr. Killebrew says.

The men of 1957 lay claim to three reunion records: largest dollar amount for a class gift, greatest class participation in a reunion year and largest percent increase over a previous-best class gift. Mr. Killebrew sheepishly reveals the mark for the third record is 2,484 percent. You do the math.

Sam Dougherty ’57 served as Chair for the class’ 55th reunion. His memory of Sack Milligan ’27, McCallie football coach and father of David, led to the attempt to achieve 100 percent class participation for that year’s class gift. Mr. Dougherty applied Sack’s favorite poem, “The Things That Haven’t Been Done Before,” to his strategy.

Coach Milligan guided the 1956 football squad to an undefeated season and the Mid-South Championship. The poem, written by Edgar Guest, invites the reader to try new things and follow his own path.

“Our plan focused on Sack and the idea that we are the Undefeated Class of 1957,” Mr. Dougherty says. “I attached the poem to letters sent to our classmates. The theme is something that sticks out to me.”

Mr. Dougherty tapped another McCallie icon to help seal the deal for the class. The school presents the Chalmers M.S. McIlwaine Trophy annually to the reunion class who logs the highest rate of participation in giving to the ASF. The award, funded by a gift from the late Edward Armfield ’33 in appreciation for Mr. McIlwaine’s influence on his life, is a 19-inch high sculpture of the long-time beloved math teacher. “It looks just like Mr. Mac,” says Mr. Dougherty, a tribute to the sculptor Butter Fisher Birkhas.

Mr. Dougherty saw the chance to make history. The previous record for class participation was 75 percent. The average reunion class giving number is 40 percent.

“It is so fitting that Mr. McIlwaine’s name is on that trophy,” he says. “I wanted to win that thing. It was a worthy goal. I got caught up with the classmanship thing because the school is that wonderful. Our challenge to other classes is to keep on giving, to beat our gift and to match our participation record.”

The $224,705 class gift is a standard Anne Pitts, Director of Reunion Giving, hopes upcoming reunion classes strive to exceed. But it’s the participation mark that truly shows the Class of ’57’s dedication, diligence and creativity.

“It is unprecedented,” she says. “It is truly 100 percent of their class members. This communicates the class’ appreciation for the school in a remarkable way. It’s an extraordinary tribute to classmanship. There are men in that class who are committed to getting a job done.”

It would have been easy for someone to sponsor a fellow classmate who had his reasons why he wasn’t able to give, but that was not the case. A personal touch including in-home visits helped the committee reach the 100-percent plateau.

“All the giving and all the participation was in consideration of each other,” Mr. Killebrew says. “We knew the dollars weren’t going to come at the 55th, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t set this record. Sure we could have given $1 for every classmate we couldn’t reach or who didn’t have the means. But that is not McCallie; that is not honor. It really had to come from them.”

Members of the Class of 1957 55th Reunion Committee behind the Chalmers M.S. McIlwaine Trophy: (Front L-R) Henry Henegar ’57, Sam Dougherty ’57. (Back L-R) Frank Groves ’57, Bob Killebrew ’57, Bob O’Steen ’57, David Milligan ’57.




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An avid rock climber and co-founder of Rockery Press Publishing, Cody Averbeck ’05 has written and published the book “Chatt Steel.”

The book is the fi rst comprehensive guidebook of rock climbing resources in the Chattanooga area. Its beautiful layout includes 432 pages which explode with color photos of some of the top sport climbing destinations within 50 miles of Chattanooga.

It also features climbing areas, routes and recommendations for some of the area’s most challenging spots including Foster Falls, Castle Rock, Prentice Cooper Crags, T-Wall, Ledas, Deep Creek, Laurel Falls and Buzzard Point.

Climbing Leader

Ted Turner ’56 will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th annual Sports Emmy Awards May 6 in New York City.

Other than starting and developing CNN, the Cable News Network, Mr. Turner has held a wide-ranging role in the sports world. He was the owner of the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks, he founded the Goodwill Games in 1986 and he helped start a professional wrestling organization, World Championship Wrestling.

As a yachting enthusiast, he captained his boat “Courageous” to victory over Australia in the America’s Cup sailing race in 1977.

Mr. Turner will also be inducted into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia this spring at the 2014 Georgia Technology Summit in Atlanta.

Along with the CNN networks and other 24-hour cable news channels, Mr. Turner created the TBS Superstation and, according to a news release, “changed the landscape of media and entertainment by combining technology with content.”

Lifetime Achievement

Ted Turner ’56

The McCallie family was honored in November at the Chattanooga History Center’s eighth annual History Makers Luncheon. The History Center honors history makers in recognition of people or events that have made a significant impact on local history.

The event drew a record crowd of more than 600 to help celebrate the legacy of the McCallie family who settled in Chattanooga in 1841 and founded McCallie School in 1905 on land that was part of the family farm.

In conjunction with the event, WTCI, Chattanooga’s public television station, produced a documentary entitled “2013 History Makers: The Heritage of the McCallie Family.” The expertly-edited video honors the legacy of the family and its impact on the development, faith, education and spirit of diversity that has shaped Chattanooga.

McCallie Family: History Makers

Featured interviews in the documentary include Dr. David McCallie ’40, Spencer McCallie III ’55, Franklin McCallie ’58, Thomas Hooke McCallie III ’60, Allen McCallie ’73, Sumner McCallie, Jon Meacham ’87, Barry Parker ’63, Ted Turner ’56 and Zach Wamp ’76. It can be viewed on-line at wtcitv.org.

A humanitarian and author, Tom Frist ’63 has spent much of his life promoting the health, relief, rehabilitation and economic development of the people in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The founder of several non-profit organizations, Mr. Frist has also written five books – “Through Fire and Water,” “Be Good, Do Good – An Amateur’s Guide to Making the World a Better Place,” “The Descendant,” “The Thoughts of a Good Man,” and “Don’t Treat Me Like I Have Leprosy,” a training manual for leprosy workers.

“The most important contributions that I feel I have made in international leprosy work have been to help raise awareness of the socioeconomic problems faced by

people affected by leprosy,” Mr. Frist told Be Magazine.Mr. Frist has lived in Brazil, Costa Rica, France, Nicaragua, Spain, Tanzania,

Venezuela and Vietnam and other countries around the world. He has spent decades studying and researching leprosy and setting up programs to assist those with the disease and other disabilities.

Life Devoted to Others

Play Golf.Change a boy’s life.May 19, 2014 / Black Creek ClubMcCallie.org/duckdaygolf



Class NOTES

BIRTHS&WeddINGSBirths 90s-00s

To rob stiles ’90 and Cary, a son, Benjamin Reynolds, on January 8, 2013. g To taylor Mcelroy ’91 and Erin, a son, Jacob Taylor, on January 29, 2014. g To andy Vance ’94 and Katie, a son, Joseph “Henry,” on November 13, 2013. g To Jay Mayfi eld ’97 and Leigh, a daughter, Lauren Olivia, on February 6, 2014. g To tim Grein ’98 and Alison, a daughter, Lilla Beth, on March 21, 2013. g To hamilton Bridges ’00 and Mary Ann, a son, Hamilton McInnis “Mack” Jr., on October 2, 2013. g To Jake lesourd ’00 and Deana, a son, Hutton Chester, on December 30, 2013. g To will scott ’04 and Katie, a daugther, Elinor Jane, on September 14, 2013. g To tim hewitt ’05 and Mary Catherine, a son, Douglas Greer Hewitt, on June 26, 2013. g To Charlie ramsay ’06 and Amanda, a daughter, Addison Lee, on March 10, 2014.

Spring 2014

To sean Jenkins ’97 and Lawson, a son, William Jackson, on December 4, 2013.

Duncan Walter Blue was born to Rachel and doug Kelly ’92 on October 28, 2013.

To Bryan wyker ’98 and Marshall, a son, Arthur Townsend II, on January 18, 2014.

To Clay odom ’99 and Cheryl, a son, Stratton Navey, on August 7, 2013.

Evelyn “Evie” Jane is the daughter of John spicknall ’03 and his wife Tricia. She was born on July 1, 2013.

Ailee June and Emerson Paige are the twin daughters of Mike Griffi n ’03 and his wife Samantha. They were born on August 27, 2013.

Jensen “Jens” was born to Jason Finnell ’00 and Natalie on February 3, 2014.



Weddings 50s-2000s dr. louie Crew ’54 to Ernest L. Clay on August 22, 2013. g John ashe ’91 to Amelia Anderson “Presh” Killebrew on September 28, 2013. g trey Johnson ’92 to Betty Granlich on November 9, 2013. g louis Parchman ’92 to Hallie Peterson on September 20, 2013. g allen eager ’94 to Jamie Rainwater on May 11, 2013. g Gabe Gamble ’98 to Rebecca Miller in January 2013. g Jonathan Ferguson ’99 to Anzi Hu on February 22, 2014. g woodson whitehead ’00 to Susannah Gregory in October of 2011. g Micah Guster ’01 to Stephanie Camille Crider on May 26, 2013. g

Zach Jett ’01 to Rebecca Long on November 2, 2013. g andrew liu ’01 to Boram Bona Gwak on January 25, 2014. g trey Meyer ’04 to Lauren Ashley Crump on January 19, 2013. g Jean-Marc Pellerin ’04 to Melissa Gebbia on October 26, 2013. g nicolas hanzelik ’05 to Martha Lindsey Davis on May 26, 2013. g Matt Mullinix ’07 to Katie Gilles on December 14, 2013. g Jay Brooks ’10 to Meredith Morrow on December 28, 2013.

ClASS UPdATeS1940s-1950sCharles lloyd ’53 recently left his job at NetJets to pursue real estate investments. He and his partner own mobile home parks in the Wichita, Kansas, area and also have private syndication for mobile home investments. In addition to his real estate pursuits, he remains active as an Angel Flight pilot by transporting patients to medical facilities.

dr. J. lawrence “larry” Mcneill, Jr. ’55 and his wife Mary Margaret were recognized by Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, N.C., as two individuals who have remained instrumental in the 50-year history of the school. Dr. McNeill has taught for over 30 years, coached both golf and tennis and now serves on the Athletic Committee, the Sandhills Horticulture Board and remains a part-time faculty member. The McNeill Family has endowed the McNeill Woodward scholarship at both S.C.C. and McCallie.

hon. robert “Bob” s. Benham ’56 retired April 1, 2013, the 50th anniversay of his license to practice law.

Bill Cook ’56 was elected 2013 President of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) at the summer board meeting in Atlanta. ACBL’s main mission is to promote and sustain the game of bridge, sustaining 3,200 nationwide bridge clubs and 1,100 bridge tournaments annually.

1960s-1970sMichael Finney ’65 was recently elected to a four-year term as District Supervisor in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., where he continues to co-own his company, MG Force, LLC alongside his wife Glenda.

Bryan shiles ’77 was elected to The College of Fellows of The American Institute of Architects on January 31, 2014. The honor was awarded to him by The Jury of Fellows in recognition of the notable contributions he has made to the advancement of the profession of architecture.

1980s-1990sA Hixson, Tenn.,-based tufting equipment supplier, Card-Monroe Corporation, recently received Chattanooga’s 2013 Spirit of Innovation Award from the Chattanooga Technology Council. McCallie alumni and Card-Monroe family members/employees include Bradford t. Card ’81 and Zach Monroe ’03.

tripp Polen ’99 proposed to his girlfriend of one year, Julie, on the “Bethenny Frankel Show.” Not only did the bride say yes, but Frankel agreed to pay for the honeymoon.

The episode aired on October 22, 2013. Polen is currently a vice president and project manager working in HR Benefits for Bank of America.

In addition to his acting and producing career, Ben Curtis ’99 has launched a new company in New York City, Soul Fit NYC, which specializes in private fitness yoga instruction, Thai yoga massage and overall wellness consultation.

ltJG william dann ’03 married Ludy Bispels on December 30, 2012 at Lake Tahoe. Pictured, left to right, are Bob

Dann ’72 and wife Anne, William and Ludy, andrew dann ’07, Katherine Dann Ogden (GPS ’02) and robert dann ’11. William and his new wife live in Salisbury, England, where he is attending test pilot school.

Flag Football Friends Eighteen alumni returned to campus on December 27, 2013, for a friendly game of flag football at Spears Stadium. Among those participating in the game were: John Brock ’09, James Cupo ’09, andrew dann ’07, rJ enderle ’09, Jay Fullam ’09, wayne Fullam ’03, taylor Gibson ’08, Caden hill ’10, wes hunter ’09, sam Kachline ’09, Jim Makepeace ’09, James nunally ’10, Julian nunally ’13, aaron sloan ’09, Matt Vischetti ’08, evan watkins ’12, Patton watkins ’10, and nolan woody ’10.

One of McCallie’s all-time great baseball players was recognized as one of the best ever at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dr. Tommy Sparks ’67 was inducted into UTC’s

Athletic Hall of Fame in March. As a pitcher for the Mocs, Dr. Sparks set single-season records for strikeouts (102), innings pitched (97), complete games (6), shutouts (4) and earned run average (1.81). His senior season, he went 9-0 from the mound and led UTC to the NCAA Tournament. An All-City and All-Mid-South performer at McCallie, he led the Blue Tornado to the Mid-South Championship in 1966. A school administrator in South Carolina, Dr. Sparks recently attended the New York Yankees’ fantasy baseball camp in Tampa, Fla., (photo above) and returned with all-star recognition from the camp.

Mound Hero



Class NOTEScontinued . . .

Spring2014

In Memoriam

1930s-1940s

2000swoodson whitehead ’00 joined Green Square Capital Management of Memphis, Tenn., in May of 2013. His recent relocation follows three years with Credit Suisse as well as three years at Deloitte in New York City. He received a BA in economics, a BBA in accounting and an MSA in accounting from Southern Methodist University as well as an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business.

John livingston ’00 started a new job as a certifi ed Dell and IBM/Lenovo technician with Worldwide Tech Services in Savannah, Ga.

James Finley ’00 moved to Pasadena, Calif., with his wife and two young daughters where he works as an Assistant Professor in Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the University of Southern California.

rev. heath Mclaughen ’01 graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary in May 2013 and was ordained into the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). He is now the reformed university fellowship campus minister at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

dave Banks ’06 and his wife Cally moved to Greenville, S.C., where he works as a recruiter for TEKsystems.

steven Green ’08 is in his second year at Harvard Law School where he serves on the Board of Editors for the Harvard Law Review, a student-run organization whose primary purpose is to publish a journal of legal scholarship.

Jesse Morgan ’08 passed the Certifi ed Public Accounting test. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2012 from Lee University with a B.S. in accounting and is a staff auditor for Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC. in Chattanooga.

reece Marsden ’08 started working with the Stevens Group in Atlanta as a government affairs associate representing the Boys and Girls Clubs of Georgia and Kaiser Permanente.

Jimmy tobin ’09, Google Lime Scholar and Lime Connect Fellow ’11, attended the Google Scholars’ Retreat in New York City and participated in a 24-hour hackathon. A student at Stanford University, he is fi nishing his degree in Symbolic Systems, an interdisciplinary program in Computer Science, Psychology, Linguistics and Philosophy, and starting his master’s in Music, Science and Technology.

George Flowers ’09 was a member of the fi rst class at Furman University to graduate with degrees in sustainability science. He has traveled internationally to pursue his environmental interests by working on organic farms in Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and Tanzania.

dr. hiram adoniram laws ’32 of Chattanooga died December 24, 2013. The former dentist of 61 years and oldest alumni of McCallie School is survived by his wife Jane, three daughters, three stepchildren and eight grandchildren including sherwood d. “tripp” dudley iii ’89.

Billups Phinizy “Phin” Percy ’39 of New Orleans, La., died January 18, 2013. He was a longtime law professor of Constitutional Law at Tulane University Law School, a cousin of poet and writer William Alexander Percy and wartime buddy of John F. Kennedy.

thomas Frederick “tom” stimson ’39 of Chattanooga, died October 24, 2013. The community volunteer and devout Presbyterian is survived by his wife Rebecca Jane, a sister, a brother Bailey stimson ’42, two daughters, two sons, Bob stimson ’69 and tom stimson ’71, and 13 grandchildren including hunter Peak ’00 and Bryant Jenkins ’12.

Patrick Murphy williams ’40 of Jacksonville, Fla., died October 10, 2013. A U.S. Army veteran, manufacturer and avid golfer, he is survived by three daughters and a son and seven grandchildren.

Maj. Gen. George Magoun wallace ii ’41 of Asheville, N.C., died August 2, 2013. The decorated Second Lieutenant and former Board Chairman of the Army Residence Community Foundation is survived by his wife Beverley, three daughters, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

elvis webster Mcleod, Jr. ’41 of Asheville, N.C., died December 17, 2013. The World War II U.S. Naval Offi cer, advertiser for Time Magazine’s international editions and Chairman of the Board of Visitors at Warren Wilson College is survived by his wife Gail and a son.

hanes lancaster ’42 of Johnson City, Tenn., died January 27, 2014. The former member of the U.S. Army Air Corps and founder of WJHL television is survived by four daughters, 16 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren.

samuel wylie Milligan ’43 of Greenville, Tenn., died September 29, 2013. The World War II U.S. Navy veteran, insurance executive and hereditary member of the Society of the Cincinnati is survived by three daughters and three grandchildren.

Brotherhood in Belize

Pictured above is (L-R) Joseph McCoin ’92 alongside brothers Jack Faulkner ’07, John

Faulkner ’06 and will Faulkner ’11. While spending Thanksgiving week at a resort in Belize, the Faulkners ran into Mr. McCoin and his wife Elizabeth (GPS ‘92) who were there vacationing. McCoin and family live in Atlanta while Jack lives in Denver, Colo., John in Oxford, Miss., and Will in Bozeman, Mont.

Hall of Fame Trio Three McCallie graduates were inducted March 3 into the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame. Stewart Lawwill ’79 starred on McCallie’s tennis team for four years. He went on to win fi ve individual Southern Conference titles and four team championships at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following college, he won a national 35s crown, fi ve consecutive Southern 30s titles and six city 30s championships. Mark Wiedmer ’76 is a longtime sports columnist for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He has earned more than 50 career writing awards and is a two-time Tennessee Sports Writers Association Writer of the Year. Trei Wild ’79 was a four-time All-American in swimming at McCallie. He won two state titles in the 50-meter freestyle and was a state champion in the 100 butterfl y. He went on to swim at the University of Tennessee.

(L-R) Stewart Lawwill III’ 79, Mark Wiedmer ’76, Trei Wild ’79 (photo by Wesley Schultz)



david hicks walke, sr. ’43 of Shreveport, La., died November 28, 2013. The World War II fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps and insurance executive is survived by his wife Mary Leah, two daughters, six grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.

robinson neil Bass ’45 of Nashville, died January 1, 2014. The professional contemporary architect and co-founder and executive director of Historic Nashville is survived by his wife Clara, three children and six granddaughters.

Fr. Jack d. Bowling ’47 of Sarasota, Fla., died January 9, 2014. The ordained Episcopal priest and 22 year professor of Psychology at Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, Mich., is survived by his wife Louise, a son, two daughters and three grandchildren.

thomas stewart Miller ’48 of St. Petersburg, Fla., died October 26, 2013. The third generation Floridian and avid sportsman is survived by his wife Betty Jean, two daughters and three grandsons.

John Key Griffin, Jr. ’48 of Pensacola, Fla., died December 6, 2013. The retired senior engineer at Monsanto Company is survived by two sons.

wallace r. Gambill ’48 of Oak Ridge, Tenn., died January 25, 2014. The longtime research engineer with the Oak Ridge National Laboratories, principal investigator of heat transfer in Oak Ridge’s only remaining operating nuclear reactor and former International Atomic Engergy Agency representative in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is survived by his wife Bobbie Jean, a sister, two daughters and a granddaughter.

Brook thomas huey ’49 of Dobson, N.C., died September 3, 2013. The former U.S. Air Force pilot and member of Elkin Presbyterian Church is survived by his wife Sandra and a son thomas huey, Jr. ’81.

Judge william r. “Bill” Baker ’49 of Ashland City, Tenn., died December 12, 2013. The former Foreign Service Officer of the U.S. Department of State and chairman of the Tennessee Claims Commission from 1999-2004 is survived by a daughter and a son, the rev. John sims tarver Baker ’81.

1950s-1960shorace Palmer robinson, Jr. ’51 of Orlando, Fla., died December 10, 2013. The recipient of the National Defense Service Medal while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and former real-estate broker is survived by his wife Emily, two daughters and five grandchildren.

James thomas “tom” Bradley, Jr. ’55 of Blacksher, Ala., died October 21, 2013. The former member of the Alabama National Guard is survived by his wife Patricia, two daughters, a son John thomas Bradley, iii ’82 and seven grandchildren.

al Grist ’56 of Signal Mountain, Tenn., died January 20, 2014. The former mechanical engineer at Davies Engineering of Chattanooga and member of Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church is survived by his wife Carol, a son, a daughter and two grandchildren.

James etheridge “Jay” lawrence, Jr. ’58 of Seattle, Wash., died October 21, 2013. The retired Senior Director of Amtrak’s reservation sales is survived by his wife Therese and two sons.

Gaithel l. simpson, Jr. ’58 of Florence, Ala., died January 24, 2014. The former employee of the agrichemical division of United States Steel and special education teacher is survived by his wife Kay, two sisters, a son, a stepdaughter, a stepson, seven grandchildren and three great-grandsons.

John Burkhardt ’60 of Port Angeles, Wash., died January 20, 2014. The former head of obstetrics/gynecology at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center in American Samoa and longtime resident and physician in Port Angeles is survived by his wife Candy, two brothers, Michael Burkhardt ’55 and ted Burkhardt ’58, two daughters and grandchildren.

dr. thomas Kirkman Jones ’61 of Signal Mountain, Tenn., died February 11, 2014. The associate professor emeritus of foreign languages at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and first recipient of UTC’s College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Professor Award in 1985-86 is survived by his partner John P. Smith and other extended family.

terrance “terry” sanford Parks ’61 of Chattanooga died on October 14, 2013. The 12-year owner and president of TSP Corporation, as well as operator of a charter flight service for organ transplant teams, is survived by his wife Betty, son Bartlett “Bart” s. Parks ’87, a daughter, five grandchildren including austin Parks ’15, a brother, dale h. Parks ’64, a sister and a half-brother.

Jack lenard Morris, Jr. ’62 of Chattanooga, died December 13, 2013. The longtime employee group benefits field worker and enthusiast of English MG sports cars is survived by a son Parke Morris ’88, three daughters and four grandchildren.

Peter James Mallen ’64 of Atlanta, died December 17, 2013. The founder and President of Atlanta-based textile manufacturing company Mallen industries is survived by his wife Janie, a brother ted Mallen ’59 and a son Matthew James Mallen ’15.

John Bernard Young ’64 of Lake Wylie, S.C., died January 26, 2014. The founder of South Carolina ornamental and shade tree business Mimosa Farms, Inc. and avid sports fisherman is survived by his wife Martha, two sons, a daughter and two grandchildren.

James rabun Jones, Jr. ’65 of Greenville, S.C., died November 15, 2013. The prominent attorney and former officer in the U.S. Marine Corps is survived by his wife Amy, a sister, a brother Virden Cameron “libby” Jones ’66, two sons, two daughters and four grandchildren.

1970s-1980sCharles “Chuck” hughes spurlock, Jr. ’71 of Montgomery, Ala., died November 12, 2013. The former high school teacher and 17-year Senator Sessions State Director for the State of Alabama is survived by his wife Phyllis Fulford, a daughter, two grandchildren, a sister and a brother.

stratton lee Blucker ’74 of Little Rock, Ark., died November 14, 2013. The former graduate of the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service and employee of Griffin Leggett Healey and Roth in Little Rock is survived by a sister and extended family.

steven harry Gordon ’76 of Falls Church, Va., died January 27, 2014. The former McCallie employee and Vice President of Supply Chain & Logistics at Jewelery Television Network is survived by his wife Kim, and a brother robert a. Gordon ’78.

Mark Maurice Porter, Jr. ’77 of Mount Carmel, Pa., December 30, 2013. The former insurance agent and avid gardener is survived by his partner Ronnie, his father, a son, a sister and a brother.

theodore Charles eric opper ’79 of Gainesville, Ga., died January 10, 2014. The former member of the U.S. Army from 1983 to 2002 is survived by two daughters, a son, his mother, a step-father, an adopted father and three grandchildren.

randolph P. lane ’85 of Chattanooga died October 16, 2013. The emergency medic and radio-control model builder is survived by his wife Catherine, father, a sister, a brother, an aunt, an uncle and several nephews and nieces.

In MemoriamObituaries are included in McCallie Magazine by class year in chronological order by date of death. Those not included in this issue will appear in the next. The Alumni Office sends email announcements about confirmed deaths

to all classmates whose email addresses are updated in our system as soon as the school is notified of them. Stay informed of such things. Make sure the Alumni Office has your updated email address.

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Questions or comments?Feel free to contact McCallie’s Communications Offi ce at 423.493.5615 or 423.493.5716 or e-mail [email protected].

B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S

Stanley M. “Skip” Brock ’68BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

James W. Burns ’89NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

L. Hardwick Caldwell III ’66LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, TENNESSEE

Robert G. Card ’66CLEVELAND, TENNESSEE

Bradley B. Cobb ’86LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, TENNESSEE

J. Hal Daughdrill III ’73ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Dr. G. Turner Howard III ’65KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE

Houston B. Hunt ’76DALLAS, TEXAS

Barry P. Large ’96CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Michael I. Lebovitz ’82CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Alberto J. McGregor ’82MIAMI, FLORIDA

Jon E. Meacham ’87NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Conrad R. Mehan ’77FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA

R. Kincaid Mills ’88LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA

Glenn H. Morris ’82CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

N. Carter Newbold IV ’84CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Dennis Oakley ’72WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Sanford B. Prater ’66ESSEX FELLS, NEW JERSEY

James M. Ruffi n ’80WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

Joseph A. Schmissrauter III ’75CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Timothy A. Stump ’75CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

William F. Womble Jr. ’60WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

HE ADM ASTER

Dr. R. Kirk Walker, Jr. ’69DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICAT IONS

Billy T. Faires ’90MCCALL IE M AG A ZINE EDITOR

Jeff Romero

B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S

S. Elliott Davenport ’78LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA

CHA IRM A N OF THE BOARD

Make a gift every year; make an impact every day. Visit giving.mccallie.org to make your gift today!

Photographic PhenomenonThis photo has not been retouched or manipulated by Photoshop or any other photo enhancing software. It was taken by sophomore Tons Ferguson, a boarding student from Nassau, Bahamas.

Tons is a student in Dave Hall’s sixth-period photography class. Some water, Tons says, had spilled on top of a clear plastic table in the photography studio. A blue McCallie fl ag was lying underneath the table. After snapping the photo and observing it, Tons noticed that the ‘McCallie M’ from the fl ag had been inverted or refracted in the droplets of water.

Of course, there is a scientifi c explanation for this photographic phenomenon. “The water droplets are acting as converging lenses,” says Upper School Science Head David Mouron ’73. “Rays of light are diffracted or bent and caused to come together to form a real image. Real images are inverted and can be projected onto a screen. It is more easily explained by using a ray diagram which represents rays of light starting at the object and being refracted by the lens.”

For full coverage of events around campus, visit WWW.MCCAllIe.ORG. }{

mccallie magazine (spring 2014)

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