The magazine for Norwich Free Academy Alumni and Friends Summer 2015
For the first time since 1994, rain forced Graduation Exercises inside for the Class of 2015. Thousands of family and friends, and 507 graduates filled Alumni Gym while others watched a live broadcast of the event across campus. Photo – Robb Cyr Photography 2
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Class of 2015 Weathers Challenge
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A Wildcat Evolution
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Coming Soon: John Meyer of Norwich Summer 2015
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ummer is always a very busy time on campus with academic and enrichment programs for students as well as a variety of necessary facilities and maintenance projects that cannot be completed during the school year. So, the invigorating hustle and bustle of Norwich Free Academy is a year-round affair.
Summer 2015
EDITORS Kathleen McCarthy Director of Institutional Advancement Geoffrey P. Serra Director of Communications & Public Affairs MANAGING/COPY EDITOR Molly Hudson ALMA MATTERS EDITOR Linda Clang Ververis ‘78 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Nicholas Bolt ‘96 PHOTOGRAPHY Brian Ambrose Photography Robb Cyr Photography CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brian Girasoli ‘94 Andrea Kaiser Samantha Trombley ‘14 Vivian Zoë DESIGN Lavender Design PRINTER The Pyne-Davidson Company
NFA magazine is produced three times a year by the NFA Foundation, Inc. and the NFA Office of Communications & Public Affairs, 321 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360. Phone 860-887-2507 • Fax 860-889-4363 Email: communications@nfaschool.org Letters to the editor, comments, class notes and address changes may be sent to the NFA Foundation, Inc. 321 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360 or alumni@nfaschool.org Views expressed in the NFA magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the NFA Foundation, Inc., the NFA Alumni Association, Norwich Free Academy or the editorial staff.
Several weeks ago over 300 people attended the NFA Jubilee Reunion at the Holiday Inn in Norwich. Alumni who graduated at least 60 years ago had a great time; they sang Alma Mater loudly and with great pride. NFA alumni events are inspiring because they capture the very essence of the Priceless Pearl. Each of NFA’s alumni outreach events this past year in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C., displayed this same love, loyalty, and reverence. When NFA alumni assemble– their love for the Academy fills the air. Our collegiate campus, with its historic buildings and architecture, is unquestionably magnificent; however, it does not solely define Norwich Free Academy. Quite simply, exceptional people (teachers, staff, coaches, alumni, volunteers, parents and students) now, and have always, defined the NFA legacy of excellence. This issue clearly reveals that the magic of NFA begins with excellent people, past and present, people without whom, NFA would simply be a beautiful campus nestled in the Rose City. It is so much more than that! NFA has much to be proud of with the Slater Memorial Museum and a consistent, historical commitment to arts education. Many alumni have achieved great artistic success. Years later, the life work of some is on display at their high school – impressive. NFA alumni continue generously and enthusiastically to support academic and co-curricular programs to ensure that NFA’s opportunities and choices continue and improve. That support has been consistent in the sciences, performing and visual arts, and athletics; it continues to have significant impact upon students in need of financial assistance for a complete high school experience. All of our successful alumni, including successful professional athletes, acknowledge the strong foundation and support they received at the Academy. Quite simply, NFA is the gift that keeps on giving. Our alumni remember where they came from and who helped them along the way. Norwich Free Academy is an institution with a wonderful social conscience and a transformative legacy, and we endeavor to continue that work each day.
David J. Klein Head of School
From the
Editors
Even before their first days on campus, while students are investigating their high school choices, we encourage them to become active, engaged participants in the Wildcat community. We know that involved students are happier and more successful. Join a club, become a mentor, volunteer at Project Outreach, use your talents to contribute to the depth and richness of the NFA community. This community is vibrant with activity. At any one time, so much is happening – in the classroom, on the courts and fields, in the museum, on the stage and in the studio. NFA magazine seeks to bring an overview of this activity to you, our readers, and to continue the engagement in the NFA community many of you began as students. We want you to continue to be a part of all that is great about Norwich Free Academy. Yes, times change, things change, people change – but much remains the same. Take for example the NFA Wildcat. Read in this issue about the “new” Wildcat and NFA’s new athletic branding. Though the Wildcat may look different today from when you were a student, be assured that our unbounded, traditional Wildcat spirit is alive and thriving.
Our story about professional athletes Andrew Carignan, Domenic Leone, and Eric Campbell is testament to that, as is our introduction to Eric Swallow, NFA’s new Athletic Director. The love and dedication, the wisdom and years of service, which characterize NFA faculty in all generations, are here for you to recall in a visit with our seven retirees. The story of Russell Hubbard reminds us of the philanthropic spirit and commitment of our founders, and lives on in the dedication and gift of Corporator Jim Moore. NFA’s institutional commitment to art education is obvious in our piece about artist Ron Wing and about visiting photographer Annie Leibovitz. So much is happening in your lives, also. Read about your friends and classmates in Alma Matters and read comments and feedback from our readers in letters and notes they have sent. With Nancee Martin, we continue to focus upon the people whose presence and contributions make the Academy unique. It is our hope that you enjoy every word of this issue, that you feel free to respond and contact us, and that you eagerly await the December issue. Editors Kathy McCarthy & Geoff Serra
readersmatter Hello and good morning, It was a great surprise to find this magazine when I returned home. I read it and I did enjoy it very much. The articles, the pictures, and the announcements and topics were very well done. I am so happy to receive it. The quality of the paper and images were superb! Excellent job to the staff that created this informational tool. Many Thanks & Best Wishes, Alfredo Poletti Norwich, Connecticut
To all, I want to compliment you on the “new” NFA magazine. I always check to see who has passed away, particularly from my class. Keep up the good work. Thank you, Patricia Tercyak Harris Class of 1954 Fort Valley, Virginia
Magazine Staff, I enjoyed reading the new magazine, especially the article on American Sign Language. I took two semesters of signing at the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in West Hartford. Students from all around the state drove to ASD for one class from 6-9 p.m. each week. I’m so glad NFA sees the necessity and beauty of teaching ASL. Barbara Wener Class of 1956 West Hartford, Connecticut
Letters to the editor, comments, class notes and address changes may be sent to the NFA Foundation, Inc. 321 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360 or alumni@nfaschool.org
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Campus AROUND Slater Memorial Museum Hosts Ron Fierstein, Edwin Land Biographer Ron Fierstein, author of A Triumph of Genius: Edwin Land, Polaroid, and the Kodak Patent War, was at NFA Tuesday, April 14, for a lecture and book signing. Over 75 people came to campus for Fierstein’s account of time spent with inventor and NFA graduate, Dr. Edwin H. Land ‘26. Fierstein was a young lawyer on the team of litigators from the prestigious law firm of Fish & Neave representing Polaroid in a patent battle with Eastman Kodak over instant photography technology. Before leaving the firm in the early 1980s, Fierstein worked closely with Polaroid’s two main witnesses -- Land and Howard Rogers. Fierstein shared details of the epic patent case and of Land’s many accomplishments. Fierstein admired and learned from Land. He noted that Land’s involvement with Polaroid was only one aspect of a long, creative, and prolific career. Land was also involved with top-secret U.S. military intelligence efforts from World War II through the Cold War, working under the service of seven American Presidents. He held more than 530 patents, including designs for an optics system for the U-2 spy plane. Fierstein provided perspective on Land’s impact upon our world by comparing him to inventor Thomas Edison. He also paralleled Land with today’s inventors, singling out Apple’s Steve Jobs, who was inspired by Land and emulated his work and marketing showmanship. The cover of Fierstein’s book depicts Land addressing shareholders while sitting on a stage in a chair with a small table. Fierstein pointed out that Apple shareholder meetings conducted by Jobs addressed colleagues in the same manner even including a replica of the furniture style on Land’s stage. Jobs held Land in high esteem noting that meeting him was “like visiting a shrine.” Fierstein returned to campus to speak to student groups later in the week. Students were eager to learn about the man behind the name of the campus library they visit each day and the story of how one alumnus connects to the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and MacBook.
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Students Hear From Professionals NFA’s Career Expo was held Friday, April 10. Students participated in six 35-minute sessions presented by over 150 professionals from different career fields. Among those working with NFA students were a licensed land surveyor, a utility project engineer, newspaper reporters, published authors, bankers, real estate agents, and financial advisors. Included were carpenters, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, computer repairmen, digital strategists, network specialists, and general contractors. Medical personnel included a physical therapist, dentist, dental hygienist, veterinarian, certified nurse-midwife, and paramedic. There were pastors, firefighters, licensed therapists, politicians, state policemen, attorneys and paralegals. Some of the more unusual presenters were models, radio hosts, executive chefs, an aquarist, a licensed funeral director, and a zookeeper. Students learned about requirements for having different professions, each presenter’s career path, and more.
NFA Launches New Website Check out NFA’s new responsive website which re-launched at the end of May. Over nine months in the planning and development stages, and the result of major campus collaboration, the website presents some new design and navigation elements. The website automatically resizes to the device used to access it; laptop, tablet, or smartphone, the site adjusts accordingly. Design features include larger, more visually appealing photography and navigation elements. Of note is the “4 year experience” tab on the homepage. Click on any one of the dropdown images and be taken to a scroll of NFA’s outstanding opportunities and choices. The design is cleaner, leaner, more modern and engaging. Every page displays NFA’s mission statement in the bottom banner and includes links to NFA’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts. Find there, also, a link to NFA’s LinkedIn account for alumni. Along the top find MyNFA. Here NFA’s various audiences find entrance to information just for them. The Parent and Alumni landing pages have a menu of options on the left-hand banner and icons link to parent tools on the right. Navigation for Alumni is much the same. Navigation for students, faculty, and staff is now through a portal log-in. The portal opens a secure area for communication and information sharing among students, teachers and staff. Students have a dashboard from which they can access group spaces for all their classes, clubs, activities, and sports; links to their PowerSchool and Naviance accounts; and access to the library’s many resources. Here students can communicate in a secure environment, teachers can post and receive assignments, and groups can have electronic discussions. The learning management system, as it is called, offers tremendous instructional and communication potential. It extends the reach of the learning community, as it is accessible from off campus. Any suggestions or comments about the new website are gratefully accepted. E-mail communications@nfaschool.org.
Grab and Go Always looking for innovative ways to meet student needs, NFA, in partnership with Chartwells Dining Service, unveiled a new food service option. On Wednesday, May 6, NFA’s food cart made its debut in front of the Atrium. This exciting new initiative is the brainchild of Chartwells Dining Service and has been approved as part of the National School Lunch Program. A “grab and go” breakfast will be available, 7-7:20 a.m. on the Shattuck side of campus, and lunch will be available, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., daily. Breakfast and lunch will continue to be served in the NFA cafeteria; the food truck simply provides students with another option to purchase food. Methods of payment accepted in the cafeteria are accepted at the cart. Summer 2015
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Class of 2015
“Weathers” a The NFA Alumni Association gained 507 new members, Monday, June 15, when the Class of 2015 moved their tassels from right to left.
Although, for the first time in over two decades, rain forced the ceremony to be held indoors, thousands of family and friends gathered in Alumni Gymnasium to celebrate the momentous occasion. The Ivy Oration and Class Speech were given by Sarah Gates-Williams and Colby Coombs, respectively, and Class President Kyle Lunde presented the class gift. “NFA you have been too kind to me,” Williams said. “Without you I would never have formed such beautiful relationships I know will last a lifetime . . . Without you, I would not have the strength to find out who I can become. Thank you.”
Eighty percent of the graduates will go on to colleges and universities in 25 states, 14 will join the military, while others will enter the workforce or pursue additional education. “NFA has given us the tools,” Class Speaker Colby Coombs said as he addressed his classmates. “Now we go out into the world to use them.” Class of 1965 Representative Thomas Cummings gave the final speech before the students became alumni, urging those graduating 50 years, to the day, after him to “do as much as you can, as young as you can. Don’t sit. Do.” “From the Class of 1965,” he said, “ a heartfelt good luck to each of you.”
Challenge
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NFA Honors All Graduates Twenty-nine students received diplomas and officially became alumni in three additional ceremonies rounding out the graduation exercises of the Class of 2015. On Thursday, June 4, three international students received diplomas from Head of School David Klein at a small, private ceremony. A week later, Thursday, June 11, four more students also received diplomas from Klein for their completion of the post-graduate LEAD program. Twenty-two students were awarded diplomas at Summer Graduation, Friday, July 24. Like • Comment • Share
LEAD provides students, ages 18 to 21, with the life skills, education, and training to transition to independent, participating and productive adults and community members.
2015 Scholarships & Awards At this year’s Annual Art, Athletic and Class Night Award ceremonies, the NFA Foundation’s scholarship donors rewarded the hard work of dedicated students.
293 Students
received scholarships & awards
$1,154
$292,077
average scholarship
total amount awarded
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After 200 cumulative years of service, this year’s seven retirees share advice for students and teachers . . . Gary Makowicki ‘73 37 Years at NFA Athletic Director “Learn what your students are involved in and what they’re interested in as a way to show that you care.”
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Karen D’Auria 37 Years at NFA Mathematics Teacher “To be able to share your knowledge of something that you love with young students is an amazing experience.”
Duncan Bailey ‘65 33 Years at NFA Art Teacher “Take coursework seriously, doing your best. Success in school will help you be more universally applicable to a wider range of employment opportunities.”
Ellen DeLeon ‘66 21 Years at NFA World Language Teacher “Give yourself the opportunity to explore a topic that interests you and pursue a field that you love.”
Robert Rothstein ‘70 31 Years at NFA Mathematics Teacher
Thomas O’Rourke 14 Years at NFA Ninth Grade Principal “Take advantage of everything NFA offers. The experiences that you gain at NFA are going to provide you with a very successful career.”
Janet Gillette 27 Years at NFA Family & Consumer Science Teacher “Live each day to its fullest and always do your best.”
“As a teacher you have to be an entertainer. All teachers have the knowledge; it’s just a question of whether they can distribute the knowledge in a way that’s interesting to a majority of the students.”
The Unveiling of
On May 1, 2015, the Friends of Slater Museum unveiled a magnificent portrait of historical significance to NFA and to Norwich. In the east corner of the museum’s mezzanine, against an ornate green background and accompanied by portraits of other figures important to the founding of Norwich Free Academy, Museum Director Vivian Zoë and Head of School David Klein unveiled a five by seven foot portrait. The enormous portrait by famous local artist Alexander Emmons is of Russell Hubbard. The generosity of donors, including the NFA Foundation, Friends of Slater Museum, and former Head of School Mary Lou Bargnesi and her husband Fritz Gahagan, brought the painting back to life as a fitting tribute to this most generous of men. NFA history is filled with interesting people, noteworthy stories, and intrigue. Russell Hubbard’s story presents us with all three. In 1853, Reverend John Putnam Gulliver set about establishing an endowed academy in Norwich, an idea first suggested in a remark made by a frustrated John Breed, a hardware merchant, after a contentious meeting in the Town Hall about the future of education in the city. Gulliver originally proposed to raise $75,000 from 10 of Norwich’s most wealthy and influential citizens.
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Industrialist Russell Hubbard had suggested this plan to Gulliver, and Hubbard, a major proponent of project, was the first donor. He gave one-tenth of the amount, $7,500. He later added $3,500 to the project. His total contribution would be about $285,000 in today’s dollars. As it was implemented, the original plan was altered. Others donated varying amounts, and some, like successful whaling magnate William Williams and his wife Harriet Peck Williams who occupied Teel House at the south end of Chelsea Parade, once known as Williams Park, donated property. In 1854 when an Act of Incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State establishing a “Free Academy” in Norwich, the petition named 36 corporators. It was Russell Hubbard who filed the petition on behalf of the others.
Hubbard managed the funds and acted as a clerk of the works to construct the Academy’s first building, an eleven room Italianate Revial edifice designed by Norwich architect Evan Burdick. Burdick had also designed the Wauregan Hotel, and later designed the Broadway Congregational Church and the Norwich City Hall. Hubbard served as first president of the Board of Trustees and navigated the organization through its infancy. The Russell Hubbard House, still standing at 161 Broadway in Norwich, was built in 1856, the year NFA opened its doors to students. Hubbard’s untimely death is directly linked to the restored Emmons portrait. On June 7, 1857, feeling ill, Hubbard, ingested corrosive sublimate (mercuric chloride) which he mistook for a common digestive remedy. Corrosive sublimate was a common insecticide, often used to kill bedbugs. The mistake cost Hubbard his life.
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Russell Hubbard Norwich was shocked by Hubbard’s death. The Board of Trustees commissioned Emmons to paint a portrait in his honor. After the Academy’s first graduation in the spring of 1858, Emmons had completed the work. According to a September 11, 1858, article “A Fine Picture” in the Norwich Aurora, the “largest and decidedly the best picture ever executed in this city” was intended to “adorn the walls of the Trustees’ room.” In 1910, when the original Academy building was demolished to make way for the current Main (Tirrell) Building, the painting was most likely de-installed and stored in Slater attic. Because it was not accessioned in the museum’s inventory, in time it was forgotten, left behind a large bookcase. It remained there until Slater’s collection was migrated to new, climate-controlled storage prior to and immediately after construction of the Atrium in 2011. Slater Director Vivian Zoë discovered the large portrait of a seated gentleman, the Old NFA Building visible to his right through a draped window. She set about researching the work, and, ultimately, having it conserved. It was in deplorable condition when uncovered. Joseph Matteis of Clinton, Connecticut, conserved the painting, and William Myers of Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, re-created an ornamentally guilded period-appropriate frame.
Without Hubbard’s support and guidance, quite possibly Breed’s idea and Gulliver’s vision of an independently endowed academy in Norwich, NFA would never have come into being. The portrait of this important Academy founder and Norwich native now fulfills the intended role of the NFA Trustees – to honor and remind all of the philanthropy and vision of the Academy’s founders. Summer 2015 Spring Spring 2015 2015
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A WILDCAT
EVOLUTION By Brian Girasoli ‘94 & Molly Hudson
The look of the NFA Wildcat has changed, but its spirit and meaning remain the same. “The new NFA athletics branding is a reflection of NFA’s athletes – fierce, aggressive, and determined,” says Joe Bosack, Founder and Creative Director of Joe Bosack & Co., the national athletic branding firm that worked with former Athletic Director Gary Makowicki ‘73 and the Office of Communications and Public Affairs to rebrand NFA Athletics. In February, NFA invited Joe Bosack & Co. to tour campus, hoping the two-man team from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, would agree to help create a uniform athletic branding concept for the Academy.
“We turn down more high school projects than we accept. Over the last seventeen years, we have probably done about four or five high school identities,” said Bosack, whose company has designed branding for numerous universities including Mississippi State (bulldogs), University of Houston (cougars) and Boise State (broncos). “We quickly learned that Norwich Free Academy is a very special place. It has a special history, but even more exciting is where NFA is aspiring to go. It’s a big thinking, big idea place, which energized us throughout the engagement.”
“We quickly learned that Norwich Free Academy is a very special place. It has a is where NFA is aspiring to go. It’s a big thinking,
The Early Years During the Academy’s first 70 years, sports headlines and articles simply referred to NFA athletes as “Acads” or “Red and Whites.” Yearbooks and photos from the period reveal no semblance of a wildcat; most sports teams used a ‘N’ in some fashion on their “collegiate” sweaters. No known documentation connects NFA and the Wildcat mascot until the 1928 yearbook, the Mirror, introduced the graduating senior class with an image of a wildcat, drawn by John Edward Dynon ‘28. In addition to the first appearance of a wildcat, the 1928 Mirror also presents the first instance of the term “wildcat.” The yearbook review of the baseball team states “Our Wildcats will surely lose their long claws this June when Tirrell, Goldblatt, Jarvis, Greene and Hamill leave us,” and “We owe a big debt to our sunny little mascot, Andy St. Germaine, who has kept the bats in perfect order and has been valet to every man who reaches first. We shall never forget his air of pride as he handed Lloyd his Wildcat sweater and ran back to the bench.”
The Red & White, the school’s newspaper provides few clues to the origins of the Wildcat also. The Nov. 8, 1928, edition reports: “In the third week of their victorious march, the Wildcats trimmed the husky Coast Guard Junior Varsity by a decisive 12 to 0 score.” It seems plausible that the wildcat came about some time in 1927 or 1928. But how and why did the wildcat come to be, and by whom? That answer, perhaps is lost to time. Neither the yearbook nor the newspaper has any account of the choice of the wildcat. Perhaps it was not a newsworthy event, or perhaps the person(s) responsible did not consider the choice noteworthy. Local newspapers also did not start using mascots in articles or headlines until the 1930s. For example, NFA’s chief rival, Bulkeley of New London, was not listed as the “Tigers” until then.
special history, but even more exciting big idea place, which energized us throughout the engagement.”
– Joe Bosack
The Evolution of NFA’s Wildcat Although Dynon’s sketch of the Wildcat was prominently displayed in yearbooks for roughly a dozen years, more versions of the mascot began to appear. At least six variations were in use between 1928 and 1940. “I’ve seen several different adaptations of the cat throughout the years – from comic to fierce,” said former Interim Head of School, Bradlaw House Principal and Cheerleading Coach Jackie Sullivan ’70. “I can recall the sentiments were usually in favor of the fierce cat as opposed to the comic; something to do with scaring the opponent.” Presently in Norton Gymnasium, Alumni Gymnasium and Alumni Hall, nine different wildcats can be found painted on the walls or floors, engraved or carved in plaques, or printed on posters. From walking on back legs to outlines of feline profiles, no two are similar, and none are repeats from the early years. How many wildcats have represented the Academy in its 160 years? It’s impossible to say. Now there is one.
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The Importance of Athletic Branding “In athletics, there are plenty of wildcats out there at every level of sports,” Bosack explained.” In our work with NFA we wanted to create a wildcat brand identity that was connected and ‘own-able’ just to NFA. That involves quite a bit of research into existing identity to establish an understanding of what’s out there.” According to High School Nicknames, the wildcat is the fifth most common school sports nickname in the country. Of the 669 schools that lay claim to the mascot nationwide, nine are in Connecticut. Simple Google searches link seven of these schools to wildcats that have previously been associated with NFA. “NFA’s taking charge and taking the initiative with branding will provide consistent recognition and will validate the program, increasing notoriety within the CIAC/ECC and the Norwich community,” said new Athletic Director Eric Swallow, who previously unified Southington athletics with a blue S.
The New Athletics Brand The new NFA Athletics branding package is the result of a process of extensive discovery and development phases including a brand and asset audit; development of a creative brief and strategy; exploration and inspiration phases; and two focus group presentations. There were two revisions before final concept approval. NFA’s latest rebranding of the Wildcat pulls many Wildcat characteristics together for a more uniform look, combining a forward looking, more modern wildcat almost in motion with a traditional, private school shield –NFA’s long tradition linked with its bright present and promising future. Look very carefully at the markings on the wildcat to see an embedded W “on the move” as the Academy sustains the founders’ vision and mission long into the future. “I think it’s a professional and sophisticated way to unify the robust NFA athletics program,” said Head of School David Klein of the new branding. NFA’s approved red and white are the main color elements of all designs; some are accompanied by a tertiary grey to provide depth and contrast. The NFA Athletics branding package is accompanied by the Official Brand Identity Usage and Style Guide with instructions and guidelines for Norwich Free Academy programs and teams. It also presents standards for a variety of applications including facilities, print, and digital, as well as apparel and merchandise. Unfortunately for us, the answer of how the Wildcat was chosen as NFA’s mascot is not clear. We would love to hear your Wildcat recollections and stories; perhaps embedded in your memory is just one more clue to our Wildcat’s origin. Summer 2015
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Eric Swallow Named Director of Athletics Meet Eric J. Swallow, Norwich Free Academy’s new Director of Athletics. The father of four children, Dana (29), Kerry (27), Caitlin (25), and Eric (19), and the grandfather of one (soon-to-be two), Swallow lives in Old Saybrook with his wife Moira. He comes to NFA from a similar position in Southington with an outstanding state-wide reputation as an athletic leader. With a full agenda of ideas, projects and plans, Eric will hardly have time to devote to his favorite pastimes, cycling and running, grilling, and boating. Today, Swallow’s favorite sport is ice hockey, but his collegiate, professional, and international athletic experience was soccer. He was a United States Soccer Olympic Team candidate. “NFA offers a great professional challenge and is a great professional growth opportunity,” says NFA’s new AD, whose background includes a stint as AD at Tolland High School, Tolland, CT, and a position as physical and health education teacher in the New Canaan Public Schools, New Canaan, CT. His collegiate experience includes instructional and coaching positions at The Citadel: the Military College in Charleston, SC, and the University of Connecticut. “I want to improve NFA’s overall program,” he says, discussing plans to make a “great program greater.” Swallow is very much focused upon the “total” picture – the student athlete, leadership, character, sportsmanship, and quality coaching. “Academic performance is more important than athletic performance,” he remarks, while talking about the personal, academic, and athletic development of the entire student athlete. He is particularly interested in “developing programs to build the leadership skills of student athletes.” With extensive knowledge of NCAA eligibility requirements and contacts within the collegiate community, Swallow will continue to expand the opportunities offered to NFA athletes by his predecessors.
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As Swallow works to “move the program forward,” the spirited support of the entire NFA community will stand behind him.
Trio Continues to Learn on Diamond By Brian Girasoli ‘94
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Photos: The Bulletin/norwichbulletin.com
“Yesterday was yesterday; today is today; tomorrow is tomorrow.” This quotation by John Iovino, former baseball coach and current NFA director of student affairs, has stuck with Dominic Leone ‘09 since his days in the Norwich Little League and the Norwich Fundamental Baseball Clinic, when he first met Iovino. “It’s a simple quote,” said Leone, a relief pitcher in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, “but it reminds Dominic Leone ‘09 me, especially in the world of pitching and baseball, that success the day before, is great. Once today is done, I’ve got to be ready for tomorrow.” Leone, Eric Campbell ‘05 and Andrew Carignan ‘04 were top players under Iovino. All three look forward to continuing their professional baseball careers, but all three, also, remember from where they came. “Growing up, you always say that’s what you want to do for a living (being a major leaguer), but you never think it would come to fruition. But, it kind of did,” Carignan said. “Once I went to college, it was doable.” Carignan and Campbell were important members of a Wildcats team that won a state Class LL championship
in 2003. Both played Division I baseball — Carignan at the University of North Carolina, Campbell at Boston College. Eric Thompson ‘04 (Vermont), Will Bashelor ‘03 (Dartmouth) and Zach Zaneski ‘04 (Rhode Island) also played D-I ball from that team. “I tell people this all the time,” said Iovino, “in high school athletics, team chemistry and team bonding is as important as talent. When you have both, like we had in 2003, you’ve got a pretty darn good team. We had phenomenal talent, don’t get me wrong, but the kids also had a great relationship with us and one another.”
•••• Carignan is a hard-throwing right-hander out of the bullpen. A fifth-round draft choice in 2007 for Oakland, he worked his way through the minor leagues before reaching the big league in 2011. Arm trouble and Tommy John surgery caused him to miss all of 2013. Another surgery repaired damage in his right shoulder, but Carignan signed with the San Francisco organization for 2014. He appeared in 30 games combined with Class AA Richmond and Class AAA Fresno. He was granted free agency last November and is hoping for another shot.
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“My arm feels great. This is the best my arm has felt since 2012,” he said prior to the start of the season. Currently, Carignan is playing for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League, an independent organization not affiliated with MLB. Through the end of June, Carignan pitched in 20 games and is 1-2 with a 3.98 earned-run average and one save.
•••• Campbell is an infielder for the New York Mets this year. The son of Iovino’s former longtime assistant coach, NFA history teacher and House Principal, Hugh “Duke” Campbell, Eric did all he could to stay on the Mets’ roster last year, including playing at least one game at seven positions: left field (20 games), third base (19), first base (18), right field (three), shortstop (two), designated hitter (two) and second base (one). “This is who he is,” Iovino said. “He played seven positions in Major League Baseball; who does that?” “That’s not just because I was a first-year player,” said Campbell. “That’s going to be me throughout my whole career. You never know what could happen. As long as I play that many positions, an injury at any of them means I could start playing every day.” Like Carignan, Campbell had a successful college career and was selected in the eighth round of the 2008 draft by the Mets. He spent time at every level of minor league ball before reaching Class AAA Las Vegas in 2013, where he hit .314 in a team-best 120 games. He began 2014 in Las Vegas again, but was called up in May. There he stayed, hitting .263 in 85 games with three home runs and 16 runs batted in. He entered as a pinch hitter on May 10 against the Phillies as a sixthinning replacement for Lucas Duda. He lined out to right field for a sacrifice fly to score Daniel Murphy and give the Mets a 4-3 lead. Campbell stayed in the game and played first base. The next day, he earned his first
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start — also at first base — and got his first hit, a single to center field to lead off the fourth inning. “I always I wanted to play baseball,” he said. “My dad is obviously the most important reason I reached the major leagues. He was always willing to throw to me in the backyard. Even when I was little, he would catch and take me in the field whenever I wanted. He was always willing to do it for me.” Campbell began this season at Class AAA Las Vegas, but after hitting .440 in 15 games he quickly returned to the Mets. Through June 25, he appeared in 42 games, mostly off the bench, and played primarily at third base.
•••• In 2012, Leone was drafted in the 16th round by the Seattle Mariners. He moved up quickly in 2013, going Andrew Carignan ‘04 from Class A Clinton in the Midwest League up to Class AA Jackson in the Southern League by the end of the season. Leone was at Class AAA Tacoma when camp broke at the end of March last year. He was not there long. On April 4, Seattle called him up to the big club. Two days later, the Mariners were in Oakland trailing the Athletics, 5-3, heading into the seventh inning. Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon decided it was time for Leone to get ready in the bullpen. “You can imagine being a rookie with all the fans cheering. Even if it’s early in the season, they were pretty enthusiastic,” Leone said. “Just getting that call, immediately the adrenaline kicks in, the excitement kicks in, the nerves kick in.
“Once I got up and started, I got in the mindset where I just related back to things I’ve done throughout my baseball career. Just throwing, just warming up, I didn’t let the moment get too big.” Leone allowed one hit and one walk in one inning of work, but also had one strikeout. It was a precursor of things to come in 2014 when Leone was a mainstay in the late innings for the Mariners, pitching just over 66 innings in 57 games. He went 8-2 with a 2.17 earned-run average, and his eight wins led the ball club from out of the bullpen. He also struck out 70 and gave up 25 walks. As a youth, Leone was a diehard Boston Red Sox fan; a highlight came August 22 when he pitched his first game at Fenway Park. “When I got called in on that Friday night, everything just kind of hit. It was a waterfall of emotion. Eighth inning; ‘Sweet Caroline’ playing. I’m running out of the pen to the cheers of hundreds of fans in the stadium.
Whether or not they were Red Sox fans, they knew who I was — friends and family from Norwich were cheering me on. Pure goose bumps.” Entering the bottom of the eighth as a replacement for reliever Brandon Maurer, Leone got Dustin Pedroia to ground out and walked David Ortiz. Then he struck out Yeonis Cespedes and got Allen Craig to line out to shortstop. That Leone kept Boston scoreless was huge. Seattle scored five runs in the top of the ninth to pull out a 5-3 win, and Leone picked up his sixth victory of the season. Two nights later, he was again called upon, this time much earlier. He entered in relief of starter Hisashi Iwakami with one out in the bottom of the third after Boston had taken a 5-3 lead, and was able to finish the inning unscathed. He went another two innings and gave up two more walks with three strikeouts, but more importantly, he didn’t allow a hit or run as Seattle took the lead for good in an eventual 8-6 win. For Leone, it was his second win in three days against the team he once loved, in a rookie season to remember.
•••• Of course, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to professional sports. After Leone’s stellar 2014, the Mariners traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a multi-player deal this year. He now plays for Class AA Mobile in the Southern League. Despite playing at three levels this year, all want to make sure that 2015 is a continuation, not the end, of a career. After all, yesterday was yesterday; today is today; tomorrow is tomorrow. “You always have to be learning,” Leone said. “You always have to be on your toes and ready to adjust because the hitters up there separate the big league from any other league. These hitters can adjust to you on a day-to-day basis, and especially being in the bullpen, you never know when you’ll be called.” For their former high school coach, seeing their successes at the major-league level is never tiring.
Duke Campbell with son Eric ‘05
“The three of them are all great players, but more importantly they are great people,” Iovino said. “It’s a tribute to the Leone, Campbell, and the Carignan families. They are humble as the day is long, and they certainly haven’t forgotten where they came from.” Summer 2015
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Alumnus’ Lifelong Effort Gains Recognition By Samantha Trombley ‘14
Samuel Huntington, renowned Norwich resident, signer of the Declaration of Independence, chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, and governor of Connecticut for 10 years, is finally being recognized as the first acting president of the United States. Huntington was born in Scotland in 1731 and moved to Norwich after becoming a lawyer. He died in 1796 and is buried in the Norwichtown Cemetery alongside his wife. The interpretation of historical records involving U.S. leadership under the Articles of Confederation has been debated for over a century. For 110 years, John Hanson of Maryland was federally recognized as the first U.S. president in Congress Assembled. He served a one year term starting in 1781 following the ratification of the Articles. However, Huntington actually acted as the president of Congress Assembled prior to the ratification of the Articles in 1779. In early July, the National Archives and the Smithsonian Institution amended their websites to reflect that Samuel Huntington was, in fact, the first president. Recognition of this Norwich native would not have happened without the hard work and dedication of William (Bill) Stanley ‘48. Stanley, hailed the “champion of Norwich history” by the Norwich Bulletin in 2010, was voted most likely to succeed and most energetic by his class. He was in the photography club, editor of the Mirror, and had his own radio show on Saturdays. After high school, Stanley served as a U.S. Marine in the Korean Conflict. As a lifelong Norwich resident, Stanley founded the Norwich Historical Society and advocated for the city’s uncredited historical figures, most notably Samuel Huntington. Stanley led the successful effort to repair and rehabilitate Huntington’s tomb in 2003. Stanley sought for decades to have Huntington confirmed as the first president under the Articles of Confederation and Congress Assembled. Stanley passed away in 2010, but his life’s work is at long last being rewarded.
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JOHN MEYER OF NORWICH: An American Original John Meyer of Norwich, recalled fondly in this city, was an American original. His work will be featured in a major exhibition at the Slater Memorial Museum, opening September 20 from 4 – 6 p.m. in Converse Gallery. The exhibition presents hundreds of garments and accessories that help to tell the story of John Meyer ’41 and his wife Arlene who together had an impact on fashion, manufacturing and technology that lasts today. Meyer was a genius of both fashion and manufacturing. Considered the dean of “preppy” style, he revolutionized how garments were made, created employment and engendered pride in Norwich. The Meyers established a look that became the standard for women from teens to grandmothers. It was fresh, flattering to most shapes and sizes and suitable for many endeavors including the classroom, office and golf course. John Meyer’s daughter Elise Meyer Feuerstein ’72, of Westport, CT, is loaning an extensive collection of John Meyer of Norwich garments, photographs, documents and memorabilia. A film created by Robert Kanter ’70 will be screened on a continuous loop in the exhibition. It features on-camera interviews of Norwichians who worked at the factory or in the office, or who had a strong connection to the family and company. Hundreds of women recall attending the wild warehouse sales where bargains were acquired in a tumult of competitive buying.
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A† INHome SLATER In 1948 Ron Wing graduated from NFA with a fine arts degree from the Norwich Art School. It would be many years and an entire life and career path before he returned to visit in the summer of 2014. With his daughter, Christina Richardson, Ron traveled from Benton, PA, last July to attend the NFA Alumni Jubilee Reunion. It was his first trip back to NFA. He visited with Slater Museum Director Vivian Zoë, toured Slater Museum, and sat down to talk about his career and his art work.
Born in San Diego, CA, in 1929, Ron and his family moved to Norwich after living in Panama City, Panama and Dubois, PA. From NFA, Ron earned a scholarship to Pratt Art Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and further developed his artistic talent and ability. A three year tour of duty in the US Navy during the Korean War interrupted his studies at Pratt where he returned in 1954 to graduate with a BA in Fine Arts.
SLATER
Ron was emphatic that his training at the Norwich Art School, the influence of the faculty, and his experience at Slater Museum truly launched his artistic career.
ICON SHOOTS ICON
Ron Wing spent a great deal of his early adult years earning a living as a commercial cartoonist and illustrator, mostly for high power advertisers
With directness, clarity, simplicity and symbolic undertone, one of America’s premier photographers, Annie Leibovitz, has photographed the world’s most famous, wealthy, and vanguard since beginning her career in the early 1970s at Rolling Stone Magazine. Leibovitz’s photographic portraits include John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Demi Moore, Queen Elizabeth, Michael Jackson, Barak and Michelle Obama, Bill Gates, and Caitlin Jenner.
Leibovitz’s marketing concept to associate Moncler parkas with famous historical icons and locations had brought her to Robert Shure, sculptor and cast expert and owner of Skylight Studios, Inc. of Boston (successor to the famous Caproni Studios) to request that he create a cast for her photo shoot. Shure, who has done extensive restoration work on Slater’s signature cast collection, instead, referred her to Museum Director Vivian Zoë.
Last year Leibovitz visited Slater Museum to work on an advertising campaign for Italian company Moncler, producer of high style parkas for men, women, and children. The brand adapts mountaineering technology to urban life and distributes the clothing directly and in boutiques and exclusive department stores.
The details were quickly worked out, and on June 17, 2014, Leibovitz arrived, a small staff entourage and a cargo of photographic equipment in tow. She quickly focused upon Slater’s cast of the famous Laocoon Group on display in the Vatican. Laocoon, the Trojan high priest, was to wear a Moncler parka as he and his two sons, often viewed as the classic depiction of agony, fight off attack of sea serpents sent by Poseidon.
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and publishers in New York. His work appeared regularly in Readers Digest, The Saturday Evening Post, Argosy, Business Week, Pageant, and Coronet. Ron also illustrated popular children’s books published by Bantam, including titles in the Choose Your Own Adventure series. Always productive and prolific, during his commercial years, Ron continued painting and creating fine art work, and in the mid 1960s, after a few years living in Red Bank, New Jersey, and after almost 50 years in commercial art, he moved farther west, inland to Columbia County, PA. For the remainder of his life, Ron returned to his first love, creating fine art in oil, watercolor, pastel, pencil, charcoal, and etching. Ron purchased the historic buckwheat Cole’s Mill in Benton, PA, and converted it into a rustic residence/studio and the West Creek Gallery. There he adopted Voltaire’s famous advice from Candide, “look to your own backyard,” where he drew inspiration from the 30 acres surrounding the mill. Since the early 1990s he hosted a popular annual fall show, sometimes exhibiting the work of like-minded artists with his own. Ron developed a strong national and international presence. In addition to Slater Museum and the National
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Academy in New York City, his work is displayed in galleries in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., as well as in private collections throughout the world. His artistic legacy includes a strong and abiding affinity for nature and mankind. Works include all manner of stylized, striking plant, animal, and human form, sometimes haunting, sometimes fluid. Motion is a constant, as is an underlying preoccupation with life, death, and the mystery of meaning. Other work is almost of mythic proportion. Most appears allegorical in nature, but all is impossible for a viewer to resist. When questioned about the sometimes spiritual direction of his work, Ron was intentionally ambiguous, but the brightness of his eye and a wide smile conveyed a sense that the question had hit upon a deeply important area. Ron passed away February 19, 2015, in Benton. His artistic oeuvre has been left to Slater Museum, where in his daughter’s words it will be “at home.”
Leibovitz was delightfully engaging and gregarious, entering into pleasantry and banter, asking questions, amazed at the entire experience of being in Slater. While her crew rushed about climbing ladders, arranging lighting, and fitting Laocoon with a parka, Leibovitz maintained a distanced focus before she went to work. The photo shoot itself was a critical and strategic process of adjusting lighting, vantage, and perspective. The crew tucked and pulled at the parka throughout trying to make it fit the writhing torso of the Trojan priest. Their job was complicated by the flailing of his arms and the serpentine flow of the sea creature. After the first day of shooting, the crew decided to completely refabricate the parka overnight for a custom fit to the full sized cast. The next day, they appeared with a new custom created parka for Laocoon, and the photo shoot went smoothly. Leibovitz was active and in good humor throughout, and even stopped in the museum shop to purchase gifts for her children before she left campus.
Photo by Annie Leibovitz Summer 2015
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leadersmatter “W
e grew closer together because of involvement in music,” says Jim Moore of his relationship with his daughter Heather Moore Bernard ‘99. As a member of the Band Boosters and as a band parent, Jim became an active member in his daughter’s activities at NFA. In 2005, Moore became a Norwich Free Academy Corporator.
In most high school programs, they would not have the opportunity to be a part of instrumental ensembles.
The Heather Moore Bernard Music Scholarship was established, and over $30,000 has been donated to the fund to date. The scholarship program provides instrumental music lessons for members of the NFA orchestra who are unable to participate in private lessons without assistance.
Moore commented upon how gratifying it is to witness the impact of lessons upon each individual student’s growth within the context of the entire instrumental experience. “When I go to a performance, the kids always thank me,” says Moore, who has certainly impacted these young musicians’ lives. He is dedicated to seeing the fund grow.
“At NFA, thanks to the generosity of supporters of the Heather Moore Bernard Scholarship program, we are able to give these students an opportunity in music that is nothing short of Heather, an accomplished violinist, was a member life-changing. Their music experience allows of the NFA orchestra for four years. She picked them to be a part of the NFA music family, to up the bass drum in her senior express themselves, to relieve year to become a member of stress, and to learn the art the marching band, in which of performance. Heather’s “I want this program she joined her high school legacy lives on through each to remain at the sweetheart and future husband student who receives her gift Aaron ‘99. Her love of music of music.” quality and quantity began in the third grade, when it was when Heather Moore’s goal is to provide she began playing violin in the opportunities for more students was in school. I know Norwich Public Schools. to participate and increase the lessons will help After she died suddenly in the quality of performance do that.” November 2011, Heather’s for the NFA orchestra. “I want – Jim Moore parents Jim and Gail Gonsowski this program to remain at the Moore ’70, and husband Aaron, quality and quantity it was knew immediately they wanted to establish a fund when Heather was in school. I know the lessons in her memory for NFA’s music program. will help do that,” he said.
NFA Director of Instrumental Music, Kristen Motola, says, “The Heather Moore Bernard Music Scholarship has given the gift of music to many students in our program. Students in the string orchestra often arrive on the first day of class with little or no experience on an instrument.
Each lesson last year was fifteen dollars per student. “We all can afford just one lesson,” he says, hoping to encourage others to share his commitment to NFA’s instrumental music program.
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ALMA
Matters
47
Mary Gwucz McKee became a great grandmother in April; she has 11 grandchildren. She looks forward to visiting Slater Museum during retirement.
Roger Haynes, retired from the Army, spoke at the NFA Career Expo in the April about his military career, and took his gift from the event to Quebec.
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Paul Sas, Sue Allen Larkham, Bob Donat and their spouses enjoyed having lunch together in the early Spring at a get-together in Zephyrhills, Florida.
Joan Murray Sherwood celebrated her 80th birthday on February 28 with friends and family in Norwich.
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Sandra Turano Harrod returns to work after five years of retirement. “I guess age is really only a number,” she says.
VETERAN JOINS CLASS OF 1943 After 72 years, Robert G Boyd, Jr. officially became a member of the NFA Class of 1943 on March 28. At 18 years old, Robert joined the U.S. Navy, serving two years as a submariner on the USS Mackerel and USS Salmon before being discharged at the end of the war. In 1958 he opened Boyd’s Used Auto Parts in Norwich. In addition to his diploma, Boyd also received a ’43 yearbook, an NFA alumni mug and baseball cap, a City of Norwich proclamation, the American campaign medal, the EuropeanMiddle East-Africa campaign medal and an honorable discharge medal at the surprise celebration.
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Dr. Leslie Young is Director of Covenant Bible College’s Johnson City, Tennessee, campus. His book 4X4 Love: For Life’s Off-Road Experiences . . . Especially the Big One was recently released. Warren Osik attended a civil war conference and visited eight battlefields in Richard, Virginia in June. It was hosted by the Civil War Trust, which recently reached a milestone of 41,000 acres of battlefields preserved for future generations.
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Ray and Jeanne Faucher Lamoureux celebrated 50 years of marriage on October 10, 2014. Daughters Jill ‘83 and Chris ‘85 surprised them with a fabulous trip to Hawaii.
CLASS OF
TO CAMPUS 1965 RETURNS AFTER 50 YEARS
The Class of 1965 celebrated its 50th Reunion weekend June 12-15. The 200 alumni enjoyed a meet and greet Friday evening, a brunch Saturday morning followed by the unveiling of the new Atrium Clock – which was donated jointly by the Classes of 1965 and 2012 – and campus tours, and graduation Monday. The 50th Reunion Committee conducted a record breaking fundraising campaign with more than 125 donors contributing nearly $18,000 in support of the clock project and a new open computer lab in the Land Library. Roberta Delgado Vincent thinks fellow alumni may be interested in The Price They Paid: Enduring Wounds of War, a new novel by Michael Putzel. Robert Louis Howard ‘64, who was killed in action in Vietnam, is mentioned throughout the book.
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In April, Philip A. Ludlow received a Veterans Award for 60 years of service with the Boy Scouts. Phil served in the U.S. Air Force from 1965-1966. He became Scoutmaster of Elmandorf AFB’s Boy Scout Troop while stationed in Alaska. Phil married Sheryl Rankin ‘64 in 1967.
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Art Jerbert and wife Jean of 38 years retired from careers as a school psychologist and a physical therapist, respectively. They continue to play tennis and travel.
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NFA HOLDS FIRST
ELL
REUNION
ALUMNI GATHER IN NATION’S CAPITAL
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Thomas J. Perra retired as Associate Vice President and Treasurer at the University of Hartford in May after 45 years in Finance. He received the 2015 University of Hartford Medal for Outstanding Service.
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April Cobb Campbell and husband Dave welcomed their tenth grandchild on April 20 and celebrated 45 years of marriage in May.
Thursday, April 23, over 50 alumni from the Class of 1945 to the Class of 2012 gathered at the Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington, D.C. Sharing stories of their time at NFA and updating one another on career and family accomplishments, the attendees kept the room alive with conversation and laughter. We look forward to our next D.C. Alumni Reception in the Spring of 2017.
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Richard Sawyer has been designated as one of 330 Distinguished Technologists at Hewlett-Packard, a company of over 300,000 employees.
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Bill Jancewicz and wife Norma Jean Kenny ‘75 relocated to British Columbia from Quebec, where they worked with Napaski Indians translating the Bible. Norma is pursuing a master’s degree at Trinity Western University. Bill completed his master’s at the University of North Dakota in 2014. Last Christmas, Bill’s mother, Martha Wisniewski Jancewicz ‘49, enjoyed a visit with him in Canada.
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CLASS OF RECALLS TH REUNION
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The NFA Office of Diversity and NFA Alumni Association hosted the Inaugural ELL Alumni Reunion on Friday, May 29. Over 20 graduates of the English Language Learners program attended the event, held in the Atrium. The guests were addressed by Leo Butler, director of diversity and Ellen DeLeon, who initiated the ELL program.
On Friday morning, August 15, 2014 the gala weekend began with a continental breakfast in Slater Atrium. Head of School, David Klein, gave welcoming remarks and mingled with those in attendance. A volunteer-guided tour of the Museum ensued and enlightened the group to all that is new and cherished. The tour group concluded with a stop at the new Slater Gift Shop. As the day continued, mother nature provided the perfect day for sixteen classmates to indulge in a round of golf at River Ridge Golf Course, followed by an informal gathering of classmates and guests at the course restaurant. On Saturday evening, August 16, sixty-eight classmates and guests reminisced at a social hour and buffet dinner at Langley’s Restaurant at Great Neck Country Club. Classmates traveled from California, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Nova Scotia, and New England. Special guests included Dr. Joseph Levanto ‘47 and his wife Dorothy ‘51. Dr. Levanto reminisced with all regarding his days with us at NFA as teacher and coach. (We also remember him as Superintendent/Principal of NFA during our children’s years at NFA!)
Dublin (Ireland) Circuit Criminal Court Judge Mary Ellen Ring was appointed Chairperson of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.
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Laura Lonardelli retired in June after 35 years of teaching high school history and social sciences at Norwich Tech, Grasso Tech and Fitch High School. She coached softball and competes in state and national senior games.
As our 55th reunion weekend concluded – all agreed – looking forward to the 60th! See you there!
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Cynthia Gunn Lazuk wrote and published two books, I Am Why They Killed Diana and I Am Your Godmother Forgive Me.
The NFA Foundation, Inc. invites you to view the 2014-2015 Donor Appreciation List. We thank you and celebrate the generosity of our alumni, friends, parents, and corporate donors during the period July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015. The electronic listing is available by visiting
www.nfaschool.org/thankyou. Summer 2015
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Philip Papineau announces the birth of his second child, Savannah Rose, March 27.
••••••••
Patrick Daley was named deputy chief of the Norwich Police Department in March. Pat is also the chief of the East Great Plain Volunteer Fire Department and lives in Norwich with his wife and children.
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Nicholas Bolt, Associate Director and Webmaster in the Office of Communications & Public Affairs, and wife Meredith, NFA English teacher, announce the birth of daughter, Camden Claire, April 9. Charlotte and Caroline are proud big sisters.
Lauren Bonavitacola graduated from Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology with a doctorate’s degree in clinical psychology in June. She will start a postdoctoral fellowship in New York City this fall. Eric Campbell, 3rd baseman for the New York Mets, urged New Yorkers to nominate educators for the New York Daily News Hometown Heroes program. Both Eric’s parents, Hugh and Amy Burgess Campbell ‘77 are educators, as is his wife Kristen Hammond Campbell ‘05.
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Kaitlyn Fydenkevez graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law in May. She will join the Hartford and Norwich-based firm of Louden Caisse Hanney as an associate attorney.
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Sage Bierman completed an internship in NFA’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs after graduating from the University of Vermont in 2014. She is now pursuing a master’s in Public Relations at Boston University.
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Samantha Trombley, a sophomore studying Public Relations and Public Policy at Syracuse University, is a summer intern in the Office of Communications and Public Affairs at NFA.
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ALUMNI FRIENDS
&We Will Miss
We express our deepest sympathy to the families and classmates of the following NFA graduates who are known to have recently passed away. They will be missed.
1935 Mary Donovan Fields Stella Baldyga Machnicki Mary Strong Wieland 1936 Vivian Bolduc Cotter Cecelia Duhaime Tremontozzi 1937 Louis Beldecos Herbert Kiecolt 1938 Eileen Sheehan Gross 1939 Richard Aubrey Ruth Caroline Goldblatt Elizabeth Dickerman Kelly Dorothy Hauschild Macht Robert McNeeley Mary Romanowski Samokar Helen Elia Scheier Florence Silva 1940 Mary Allegretti Lemoine 1941 Horace Corning Loretta Hebert Parker Genevieve Adamcewicz Waldron 1942 Anne Dudar Chmurynski-Bishop Walter Pietrowski
1943 Robert Dougherty Walter Fiedorowicz Paul Gadle Ruth Barber Himelstein Sophie Jascenia Yovino 1944 Jennie Zinewicz Blazejak Rubin Bokoff 1945 Adele Dembrow Fishbone Frank Iacoi Rita Manning Curioso Izbicki Hershel Libo Elizabeth Calkins Mazzola John Schaeffer 1946 Arthur Rutchik Janice Sage Anthony West 1947 Anthony Lonardelli A. Carleton Eichelberg Francis Keroack John McNally Cornelius McNamara Richard Pendleton Richard Savage Alice Legros Ziobro 1948 Irene Planeta Algiers Helene Globus Joyce Carlson Johanessen Ronald Wing
1949 Elizabeth Sullivan Combies Ralph D’Andria 1950 Helen Nabasny Jurczyk Lorraine Bargnesi Kornilieff Mary Kondratowicz LePage Gertrude Treat Surprenant 1951 Nancy Holmberg Lotring Thomas Peterson Joseph Pietrowski 1952 Elizabeth Pershaec Bennett Mary Tracy 1953 Irene Taraskiewicz Bondrowski Irene Evans Miller Edward Misiaszek Judith Audette West 1954 Stanley Babbitt Audrey Euell Fields 1957 Diana Cramer Marilyn Wisnefsky Cohen Marguerite Lewon Anna Casey Morrissette
1958 Patricia Hildick Maxson Philip Schaffhauser
1968 Ellen Paztsch Deutsch Susan Lanoue Mecteau
1959 Phyllis Sutthill Johnson
1969 Alexander Sadowski
1960 Lewis Baldwin Maryellen DiFrancesca Diodato Arthur Hill Francis Kozak Warren Kreger
1970 William Boyd Nicholas Burgess Dianne Wilemsyk
1961 Robert Castriciano David Fedeli Kenneth Wells
1972 Thomas Barrett
1962 Laura Dugas Cubanski
1971 Janet Stevens Cipriano
1974 Chester Drong Kenyon Horelik William S. O’Hearn, Jr
1963 Elaine Gonsalves Ramos Theresa Jankowski Scafati Elizabeth Walker Thompson
1977 David Spalding
1964 Charlene Pendola Day Conrad Fowler James Shepard
1983 Kathleen Congdon Gail Sisson Wiberg
1966 Anthony Saporita 1967 Jane Hammond Brown
1979 Michele LaVigne
2000 Shawn Ellal 2008 Christopher Urbinati
Mary Allegretti Lemoine ‘40, former House Secretary, passed away March 1, 2015. After retiring from NFA, Mary often returned to campus, volunteering with the Alumni Association; she especially enjoyed the Jubilee Reunion. Mary is survived by her daughter Diane Tolokin ‘67; son Ron ‘70; granddaughter Lindsey Lemoine ‘98; and grandchildren John & Julia Lemoine.
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NFA
AUG & SEP August 26 First Day of School – 9th Graders
September 17 Open House Parents Night 6 – 8 p.m.
September 20 Opening Reception – John Meyer of Norwich 4 – 6 p.m. – Slater Museum
August 27 First Day of School – 10th, 11th, 12th Graders
UPCOMING REUNIONS
1955
The Class of : Saturday, September 19 Sidney Frank Ensemble Room, NFA
1975
The Class of : Saturday, October 10 Harp & Dragon, Norwich
1985
The Class of : Saturday, October 17 Harp & Dragon, Norwich 36
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1990
The Class of : Saturday, August 29 Mohegan Sun Country Club, Uncasville
2005
The Class of : Thanksgiving weekend
HAPPENINGS October 3 Classic Band Festival 5 p.m. – Turf Field
OCT October 18 Open House for Prospective Students 1 p.m. – Atrium
October 17 Homecoming 11 a.m. – Tailgating 1 p.m. – Kickoff against Xavier Falcons
For specific information about upcoming alumni events and reunions visit www.nfaschool.org
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FACULTY & STAFF News
Mathematics teacher Megan Horst and husband Myles announce the birth of daughter Elizabeth Horst, March 7. Science teacher Cary Langley Barry welcomed daughter Ashton Rose Barry, April 4.
Lila Riley Herrick
Special Education teacher Danielle Poirier welcomed baby girl Piper Julia Poirier, May 16. Mathematics teacher Brian Martin and family welcomed Lila Dorothy Martin, Brian’s third child, June 5. Guidance counselor Christina Burdzy-Herrick is pleased to introduce Lila Riley Herrick, June 8.
Piper Julia Poirier
Ashton Rose Barry
YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Every gift to the NFA Fund ensures that students are provided with unique opportunities & choices. Make your gift today at www.nfaschool.org/giving
peoplematter NANCEE MARTIN BRADLAW OFFICE SECRETARY “I just want it to be perfect,” says Nancee Martin, who has played a major role in coordinating the 17 graduations since she joined NFA in September 1998. Martin serves as secretary to both the Bradlaw Office and the Art School, but her biggest responsibility each year is organizing everything directly related to the 500 soon-to-be-alumni for graduation including caps and gowns, honors designations, diplomas and more. Humble, she thanks colleague Jerrilyn Jenkins Cagle ‘76 for her unwavering support during their busiest months, and credits Bradlaw Principal Bryant Sheldon for his “amazing” planning of the first indoor graduation since 1994. “Watching the kids on graduation day is sheer joy,” she says. “It’s the happiest I ever see them.” Summer 2015
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NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID HARTFORD, CT PERMIT #4145 norwichfreeacademy @nfaschool
Change Service Requested
H MECOMING 2015 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 Tailgating starts at 11 a.m. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
WILDCATS VS XAVIER FALCONS Visit www.nfaschool.org for schedule of events