darlington magazine winter 2011

M A G A Z I N E

W I N T E R 2 0 1 1

Tom Whitworth Headmaster

James Milford Assistant Headmaster Director of Admission

Gordon L. Hight III (’94) Director of Upper School

James Hutchins Director of Middle School

Steve Bartholomew Director of Lower School

Faye H. Fron Chief Development Officer

Joe Montgomery Chief Advancement Officer

Vicki Vincent Director of Alumni Relations

LaNoya Corley Graphic Designer

Doug Hamil Director of Graphic Design

Tannika King Director of Media Relations

Anne Paige Wilson Director of Marketing

RuthAnne AndersonKen CaruthersMark Olencki

Ryan Smith Photographic Contributors

Darlington Magazine is published two times a year by the Communication Office of Darlington School, and is

distributed to those who have shown a continued interest in Darlington.

Darlington School, a nonprofit organization, does not discriminate in

admission because of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, and maintains non-discriminatory policies

throughout its operation.

1014 Cave Spring Road Rome, Georgia 30161

706-235-6051 (phone)706-232-3600 (fax)

[email protected] www.darlingtonschool.org

Content

2 Community News 6 Second Century Campaign News 26 Class Notes 44 In Memoriam

Campus Features

10 Lakeside LegendsAlumni reflect on the teachers and faculty who transformed their lives

16 Ask Marla LeeQ&A with Learning Center Director

20 Best of the BestSoccer Academy players represent home countries on the field

22 Dream Big or Go HomeCross country team overcomes obstacles to win state title

Campus Views

18 Fall for the Arts 24 RUMPUS 36 Tiger Tailgates

Alumni Profiles

28 John Wardlaw (’40) A Passion for Progress

32 Claude Booker (’50) and Joe Johnson (’47) Distinguished Alumni recognized during Alumni Weekend

38 Dr. Steve Wilhoite (’73)Growing up, giving back

W I N T E R 2 0 1 1

Darlington Magazine

College Fair exposes students to gamut of opportunities

College admissions officials representing 96 institutions received a warm welcome from Darlington students and faculty at the 17th annual College Fair in September.In addition to many from the Southeast, the fair hosted colleges ranging from Bates, Mt. Holyoke and Syracuse in the Northeast; to Dickinson, the College of Wooster and DePauw in the Midwest; to Rice and T.C.U. in Texas; to the University of Montana in the West; to international institutions like the University of St. Andrews, the Glion Institute and Franklin College of Switzerland.

All Upper School students attended, giving freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of schools and juniors and seniors a chance to zero in on their top choices. Popular booths included the University of Alabama, Auburn, the University of Mississippi, Sewanee, Vanderbilt and the University of Georgia. Additionally, the University of the Pacific, Hampden-Sydney, Emory, Mercer, Belmont Abbey and Birmingham-Southern scheduled private visits to Darlington this fall.

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Darlington saw a 3.5 percent increase in enrollment in 2010-11, opening in mid-August with a total of 853 students PK-12 compared to last year’s 824.

“We have found that in these trying economic times, the last thing parents want to sacrifice is their child’s education,” said James Milford, assistant headmaster and director of admission. “Families are cutting back in order to enroll or keep their children in a learning environment that is safe, rigorous and full of opportunity.”

Opening day enrollment per division was 159 Lower School, 210 Middle School, 295 Upper day and 188 Upper boarding students. An 18 percent increase in resident students meant the largest incoming boarding class in over a decade. The school also boasted

its largest freshman class in the same amount of time.

“At the Lower School, we almost doubled our enrollment from last year,” Milford said. “This tells us that people are realizing the value of coming early to Darlington. We saw the most success in third grade and kindergarten. By summer, we had wait pools at the Lower and Middle divisions, as well as for boarding, and we anticipate the same for the coming year.”

If you know a student who would be a good candidate for admission to Darlington, please visit www.darlingtonschool.org/recommend and tell us about him or her. Spaces are filling up quickly for 2011-12, so act now to ensure that the student receives early consideration.

Enrollment increases by 3.5 percent

53 earn AP Scholar designationDuring the 2009-10 school year, 91

students in Rome and Floyd County earned the designation of AP Scholar by The College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Exams. Of these scholars, 53 are from Darlington.

“The AP exams are an excellent measure of readiness for college study,” said Academic Dean David Powell. “We applaud our students for attaining

the status of AP Scholar as they prepare for a rigorous college curriculum.”

Two recent graduates, Brian Liu (’10) and A.J. White (’10), qualified for the National AP Scholar Award, the highest designation, by earning an average grade of 4 or higher on a 5-point scale on all AP Exams taken during their high school career, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

Darlington currently offers AP courses in 21 subjects.

Darlene Chikezie (’12), Paige Banks (’12), Busayo Amosu (’13) and Allie Collins (’13) visit with a college admissions representative.

Darlington hosted the Rome Triathlon Club’s third annual Navigator Sprint Triathlon in October, raising more than $5,000 for Cancer Navigators, a local organization that provides resources to all who are touched by the life-changing process of dealing with cancer. More than 200 triathletes from the Rome-Floyd County community and throughout the Southeast participated in the event either individually or as part of a relay team. Participants swam 500 yards in the lake, biked a 14.5-mile route through the area around the school and ran 3.1 miles through Darlington’s campus, ending on the track at Chris Hunter Stadium.

Triathlon benefits Cancer Navigators

Team Triple M, comprised of Margaret Hjort (‘11), Melissa Picon (‘12) and Mary Bailey Jones (‘12), placed third in the female relay division of the Navigator Sprint Triathlon.

Winter 2011 3

Georgia author Diane Z. Shore brought her stories to Darlington this fall during the Lower School’s annual author visit. Dressed as pilgrim “Elinor Billington,” she shared tales of 17th Century America.

“She brought 17th Century games and toys and taught students about clothing, schooling, the Olde English language and, of course, the first Thanksgiving when ‘only four up-grown women’ prepared the food for the three-day feast,” said Ann Glass, Lower School librarian.

Shore is the prize-winning author or co-author of six books for young readers, including “This is the Dream” (2006), a compelling, boldly illustrated book that chronicles episodes before, during and after the Civil Rights movement in America. It has been chosen for inclusion on the inaugural list of “25 Books All Young Georgians Should Read” in 2010

by the Georgia Center for the Book.“Unlike many authors, Diane says

she enjoys school visits more than the writing process because she feels like writing is not her natural talent, but one would not know it from reading her books,” Glass said. “‘This is the Feast’ is a historically accurate picture of the pilgrims. ‘This is the Dream’ is a historically accurate, inspiring and child-centered snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement. Her other books and poems range from hilarious to whimsical.”

Shore’s first book, “Bus-a-Saurus Bop” (2003), won a 2004 Children’s Choice Award from the Children’s Book Council. It was followed by “Rosa Loves to Read” (2004), “Look Both Ways” (2005), “This is the Feast” (2008) and “How to Drive Your Sister Crazy” (2008). Shore’s work has also been published in a variety of magazines and teaching publications.

Darlington welcomed children’s author and national writing consultant Lola Schaefer back to campus in October to conduct a three-day writing workshop with students in grades 1-4.

“Lola Schaefer was amazing,” said

Patricia Ayer, computer instructor. “I watched her engage and inspire students to give profound answers to her questions. At one point, she asked them to describe the most important thing they had ever written. One child told a story about himself, another mentioned a class assignment, but one student said the most important thing he had ever written was a letter to a soldier thanking him for his service to our country.”

Schaefer, who was last year’s visiting author, has published more than 265 books for children, including picture books, easy readers, classroom books and informational texts. A former teacher, she has won dozens of awards for her nonfiction and narrative works,

including the Outstanding Science Trade Book Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award and the Zena Sutherland Award. During her three days on campus, she shared age-appropriate writing prompts with each grade. This writing workshop was sponsored by Tiger Pride, Darlington’s Lower School parent organization.

“Lola covered the strategies of teaching genre and craft and I learned so much,” said kindergarten teacher Janice Cox. “Her presentations are filled with great information, but knowing that it all comes from an experienced classroom teacher and author makes it even more valuable.”

Children hear from award-winning author

Author conducts writing workshop at Lower School

Hanks Archives now on display in library

Claire Witt (’23) poses for a quick photo with visiting author Diane Z. Shore.

Lola Schaefer

Memorabilia from the J. Daniel Hanks Sr. (’27) Archives is now on exhibit in the Upper School’s McCallie-Kennedy Library, thanks to the addition of three display cases along the back wall.

“We are bringing history to life and it’s fascinating!” said Ann Glass, school archivist and Lower School librarian.

“Our plan is to add one new display case per year until all the wall space is taken up with archival material that tells the story of Darlington and celebrates big events in our history.”

Last summer, Glass spent two weeks at the National Archives’ Modern Archives Institute in Washington, D.C.,

preparing for her new role as school archivist. She added that Alumni Council members Madge Crawford (’85) and Mai Mai (Selman) Kelly (’72T) have been particularly helpful in putting the displays together.


Darlington Magazine 4

Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed third-grade teacher Alice Clements to the Professional Standards Commission, which is responsible for establishing and upholding ethical and professional standards within the teaching profession.

“I am honored to serve on this commission,” said Clements, who joined Darlington’s faculty in 2005. “Professional educators have the utmost responsibility to be of good moral

character. Parents entrust us with their children’s lives every day, and we have a responsibility to maintain a professional relationship with these children at all times. Teachers can influence a child to do the right thing or the wrong thing, and I think we must be held accountable for our actions. By serving on this commission, I hope to ensure that the people who are certified to teach in the State of Georgia uphold the standards that are set before us in the

Code of Ethics for Georgia Educators. At Darlington, our mission statement states that we act with integrity. I think this portion of the statement is apropos for educators everywhere.”

Clements, one of only two independent school teachers appointed to the commission, will serve a three-year term as a member of the Educator Ethics Review Committee.

Teacher appointed to Professional Standards Commission

This fall, Darlington students and faculty joined the Rome community in reading Jay Asher’s “Thirteen Reasons Why” as part of the One Book Many Voices reading initiative. Will Warren (’13) was named Darlington’s winner of a community essay contest that focused on the book.

“This book was the cliché ‘think-about-what-you-say-or-you-might-regret-it’ book,” said Warren, who met the author when he spoke at Georgia Highlands College in September. “I think it’s a good thing to be reminded of how words and actions can penetrate the emotionally fragile facades of high school kids, and in the case of this book, girls.”

“Thirteen Reasons Why” is a compilation of transcripts of audiotapes that 16-year-old Hannah Baker recorded before committing suicide, interspersed with the reactions of Clay Jensen, a high school classmate who listens to them.

In addition to calling attention to teen suicide, this compelling story raises important questions about responsibility to oneself and others and the impact of every choice.

“When looking back on all the parts of Hannah’s collapse, I realized that if the people in the stories had done one thing differently, Hannah Baker would have still been alive,” Warren said. “I think this is what the book really boils down to – doing the right thing and knowing that every time you make the right decision, you are preventing something bad from happening.”

This year, 178 students entered the writing contest, which was sponsored by the Rome News-Tribune. Winners were selected from each area high school and in the middle school and college categories. One Book Many Voices is sponsored by 15 community organizations, including Darlington School.

Will Warren (’13)

Sophomore wins community essay contest

Alice Clements

Members of the Centennial Class of 2005 gathered in front of Morris Chapel during Alumni Weekend to dedicate a plaque in honor of Darlington’s Centennial Celebration. Their senior class gift to Darlington, the plaque is located in front of the magnolia tree on the right side of the walkway between the lake and the chapel. It reads: “Given by the Class of 2005 in recognition of the lives that have been transformed during Darlington School’s 100 years of excellence.” The class raised the funding for the gift in only 72 hours.

Centennial class dedicates campus plaqueAnne Montgomery (’05) and Barton Lowrey (’05)

unveil the Centennial plaque.


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Golf joins soccer and tennis in sports academy lineup

Darlington School Golf Academy at Coosa Country Club, which launched this year, is a nine-month program that affords junior golfers the opportunity to develop and refine their game while continuing their education at one of the top-rated boarding schools in the Southeast.

“The ultimate goal of all of our sports academies is to prepare student-athletes to play at the next level,” said James Milford, assistant headmaster and director of admission. “By integrating a strong curriculum, state-of-the-art facilities and world-class instruction, we develop these players to their highest potential. We have already had great success placing our Soccer and Tennis Academy students in collegiate and professional programs around the country, and we look forward to seeing the same with golf.”

Brian Albertson, Coosa Country Club’s head golf pro and 2010 American Junior Golf Association Golf Professional of the Year, serves as director of the Golf Academy. A Class A Member of the PGA and master club fitter, he has taught PGA Tour players and over 30 collegiate golfers. Other staff members include Coosa Country Club assistant pros Travis Nance, former PGA Tour member, and Tripp Powell, Shorter College standout and 2006 SSAC All-Conference honoree.

More than 35 scholarship awards have been given to qualified students this year, and commitments have already been made for 2011-12 thanks to the Darlington Community’s generous support of the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program.

In 2010, contributors had redirected over $500,000 of their Georgia state income tax dollars to Darlington through the GOAL initiative, which helps create additional scholarship opportunities for public school students who are transferring in or entering pre-K. In return, they received a state tax credit. Out of the 107 participating schools in the State of Georgia, Darlington School was No. 3 in dollars collected through the Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program.

“I want to thank those of you who have redirected your Georgia tax dollars to support qualified students who might not have otherwise been able to afford the Darlington experience,” said Admission Officer DeLean Brandon. “They are so grateful for your generosity. I hope everyone will consider participating in 2011. You are making a big difference in the education and future of Darlington students!”

Unfortunately, the House Bill that created this program could be revoked by the Georgia General Assembly at any time. Therefore, it is imperative that friends of Darlington act fast. Watch for information to be released soon about how to contribute in 2011. To learn more about the program, visit www.darlingtonschool.org/goalscholarship.

Last summer, 65 Upper School students participated in the first-ever Summer Reading Challenge, a program designed by Learning Specialist Jean Bonnyman to motivate and encourage students to become lifelong readers.

“The hard fact is children who don’t read regularly simply do not perform as well in the verbal portion of the SAT as those who do,” Bonnyman said. “But the good news is it’s never too late to become a better reader, and summer is a prime time to do it.”

Participants chose four books each from a list of over 25 age-appropriate titles on a broad range of topics. Selections included “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by Ann Brashares, “Blink” by Malcomb Gladwell, “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, and “Life is not a Game of Perfect” by Bob Rotella

and Robert Cullen, to name a few. After reading each book, students met one-on-one with Bonnyman to talk about it, much like two adults in a book club might do.

“I met with students in person or by Skype or phone to discuss vocabulary and comprehension, as well as other reading-related topics geared toward the idea that reading is interesting and not a chore,” Bonnyman said. “I can’t force this opinion, but I can certainly model it, encourage it and facilitate it.”

This year, Bonnyman hopes to offer the Summer Reading Challenge at all three divisions. This program is separate from the Upper School summer reading program, which requires all students to read one book during the summer and complete a project prior to the start of school.

Georgia GOAL Scholarships benefit new students

65 participate in Summer Reading Challenge

Check out new website featuresDid you know that anyone with a login

and password can post photo galleries on Darlington School’s website? This includes students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff. Other interactive features available to logged-in members include the ability to tag photos,

comment on media content and view secure directory information. Alumni who have not yet created their account and updated their profile, may do so by visiting www.darlingtonschool.org/passwordrequest.



A $2.5 million commitment from Michael Kahn (’78) to endow the Teaching and Learning Center will allow the school to continue providing valuable academic support throughout Darlington’s second century.

Kahn, owner/CEO of Charlotte Checkers Hockey, LLC, and vice president/COO of Empire Distributors Inc., said it is his work with The Fletcher School that inspired him to designate his campaign gift to Darlington’s Teaching and Learning Center. An independent school in Kahn’s hometown of Charlotte, N.C., The Fletcher School offers a comprehensive educational program designed to build the academic, social and emotional competence of students with specific learning disabilities and/or ADHD.

“I’ve had the opportunity to see Fletcher graduates become very

successful,” said Kahn, who serves on the school’s Board of Trustees. “They gain enormous self-confidence, become great self-advocates, go on to major colleges and universities across the country, and lead very productive and outstanding lives in our communities. These students are as bright and as smart as any other; they just have a different way of learning.”

Similarly, Darlington’s Teaching and Learning Center provides support to students with diagnosed learning differences while also creating opportunities for the Darlington Community to learn more about differentiated instruction and learning strategies and styles. The center is a resource for students, faculty and parents alike.

“Knowing that Darlington has created a center to reach students who learn

differently was very meaningful to me,” Kahn said. “These students are the future. They will become our leaders in the coming years, and we need to ensure that each and every one of them has the resources and support to learn at all levels. I feel very fortunate to be able to be a part of The Fletcher School and Darlington School’s Teaching and Learning Center.”

Kahn’s generous contribution brings the total funds designated for the Teaching and Learning Center to $3,815,495, which is just over 81 percent of the $4.7 million goal for this segment of the campaign.

Endowed naming opportunities for the Middle and Lower School Teaching and Learning Centers are still available. For more information, contact the Second Century Campaign staff at [email protected].

Learning Center gift brings campaign closer to goal

S e c o n d C e n t u r y C a m p a i g n N e w s

In November, Avery Smith (‘17) became one of the youngest contributors to Darlington’s Second Century Campaign when she donated her winnings from the second annual Rome - Seven Hills Rotary Ducky Derby, which was held in conjunction with the Coosa River Basin Initiative’s River Revelry. Here, she presents a check to Chief Advancement Officer Joe Montgomery.

Winter 2011 7

As Darlington’s first major fundraising effort to include an emphasis on planned giving, the Second Century Campaign will create a solid financial foundation for Darlington’s next 100 years. In fact, planned giving makes up $28 million of the $90 million campaign goal.

“Each year, an increasing number of alumni and friends benefit from life income plans, gift annuities and other gift vehicles,” said Clay Doss (’74), director of planned giving. “Because of this, planned giving will play a vital role in the future success of our school. Simply put, the Darlington of tomorrow will be transformed by planned gifts made today.”

Alumni like the late Ned Wilson (’29) have stepped up for their alma mater in a big way. Wilson died in 1958; however, prior to his death he expressed to his wife, Elizabeth Taylor Wilson, that Darlington School had transformed his life in such a way that he wanted to give back to the school in the form of a planned gift. Upon her death 52 years later, she fulfilled his wish by including a simple bequest in her will gifting 10 percent of her estate.

“As a result, this remarkable commitment will be directed toward faculty endowment – thereby ensuring that Darlington is able to recruit and retain the kind of excellent faculty in

her second century that transformed her beloved husband’s life so many years ago,” Doss said. “Making a planned gift is a very simple process which can take multiple forms and can help you address a variety of personal financial goals. We are ready to work with you to craft the gift plan that best meets your goals and objectives.”

A planned gift of any size qualifies the donor for membership in the J. Daniel Hanks Sr. (’27) Heritage Society. For more information, contact the Second Century Campaign staff at [email protected].

Thanks to the generous support of the Darlington Community and a foundation friend of the school, the final phase of renovations to the boys’ houses was completed last summer. Darlington celebrated this milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony in August.

“What an exciting day for Darlington students!” said Headmaster Tom Whitworth. “This is yet another tangible sign of the tremendous success of our Second Century Campaign efforts. The theme of this campaign is ‘transforming lives’ and by transforming these halls, we are truly making a difference in the daily lives of our students and the experience they have here at Darlington.”

Originally built in the late 1920s and updated periodically over the years, the boys’ houses have now entered the 21st Century with state-of-the-art features and technology.

“Our architect, Mike Mascheri of Chapman, Coyle, Chapman in Atlanta, worked closely with the boys and their heads of house to design a complete transformation that truly meets their needs,” said Joe Montgomery, chief advancement officer. “The upgrades include a complete renovation of each room and the addition of new common areas with full kitchens and flat-screen televisions. Extra dorm rooms were also added to fill our increasing need

for space as the boys’ boarding program continues to grow.”

The ribbon was cut by Preston Cobb (’11), Mark Huang (’11) and Ibrahima Toure (’11), all four-year boarding students who have witnessed firsthand the transformation over the past two years.

“It’s like a dream come true,” said Huang, head prefect of Summerbell House, who was among the first to move into the newly renovated dorms. “The school did a very good job of including us in the planning and meeting all of our needs. This process started our freshman year, and every year we would see more and more improvements or hints about what was to come. Now, it’s finally here and we have fallen in love with the dorms all over again.”

The $3 million renovation project, which was completed by R.J. Griffin & Co. in two phases during the summers of 2008 and 2010, was made possible by gifts to Darlington’s $90 million Second Century Campaign. The first phase of improvements included the renovation of restrooms; replacement of windows and HVAC units; and reworking of hallway light fixtures and dropped ceilings. The final phase, completed in just nine weeks, included the renovation of existing dorms and hallways to incorporate new flooring, wainscoting and doorways. With the added space

and improvements, the boys’ residence halls are now able to house 109 students (up from 103 in 2009-10).

“Based on student input, our goal was to provide more natural light to the dorms, computer study areas outside of dorm rooms, the ability to accommodate day students in overnight house activities, and to promote a cozier feel to the common living spaces and individual dorm rooms that serve as these boys’ home away from home,” Montgomery said.

To preserve the history that lies within the walls of Wilcox and South Halls, Darlington is still offering alumni the opportunity to be permanently recognized with the naming of a dorm room. For more information, contact the Second Century Campaign staff at [email protected].

School hosts ribbon cutting for renovated boys’ houses

Campaign sees tremendous success in planned giving

Photo by Ken Caruthers

Preston Cobb (’11) cuts the ribbon

during a reception on Wilcox Patio.


The Second Century Campaign is about transforming Darlington’s campus and the lives of students and faculty who will enter the gates over the next 100 years. Jere Drummond (’57) and George Johnson (’54), who frequently talk about how their own lives were transformed by their experiences at Darlington, accepted the call to serve as co-chairmen of this historic campaign. Their love for Darlington and mutual desire to ensure her future made them the ideal people to spearhead this challenge.

Few of us foresaw the economic changes that have faced our nation and the world since we launched the campaign. And so, as we passed the $75 million mark of the campaign, Jere and George sat down to reflect on what has been accomplished and what is still left to be done.

GJ: Extraordinary! That’s the word that comes to mind when I think about how far we’ve come since we launched the Second Century Campaign. Especially when you look at what’s happened with the economy over the past two years. How great is it to see the number of alumni and parents who have given to this effort? I’m humbled by their support.

JD You’re exactly right, George. And don’t forget foundations. We’ve received over $26 million in grants from foundations, which have helped us reach $78 million of our $90 million campaign goal. That’s another vote of confidence in what students and faculty accomplish every day at Darlington.

GJ: The impact to the school is absolutely remarkable – we’ve built a new Middle School facility, completed renovations of the boys’ residence halls and are well on our way to endowing the Learning Center. It’s so gratifying to see what’s happened and to know that Darlington’s second century is going to be as prosperous as its first.

JD: The campaign isn’t done, though. Now we need to turn our focus to the two remaining priorities. You might say we’ve saved the best and most important for last.

GJ: I agree wholeheartedly, students and faculty are our top two priorities.

JD: Yes, these two groups are the heart of Darlington and the best investment in Darlington’s future overall.

GJ: You’re so right. Fulfilling these two endowment goals promises great returns for Darlington and that’s what it’s all about. It’s time for everyone to get onboard and support this campaign as we head toward the home stretch.

JD: Exactly. The time is now. Everyone needs to realize that no gift is too small or too large. Every gift counts and helps us get closer to achieving our goals. It’s all about digging a little deeper in that shoe. Right, George?

A Conversation Between Jere and GeorgeDarlington celebr ated her centennial year in grand style in 2005, but even as the festivities were being planned and history celebrated, we knew there was much to do to ensure Darlington’s success in her second century. In 2006, armed with a new Strategic Plan, Darlington embarked on a historic and ambitious $90 million challenge – the Second Century Campaign.


Jere Drummond (’57) and George Johnson (’54), co-chairmen of the Second Century Campaign.

Darlington Magazine

Winter 2011

1,000Campaign donors

260Capacity of new

Middle School facility

161Faculty and staff to benefit

from the campaign

87 Percentage of

campaign goal reached

60 Volunteers serving on

campaign cabinets

58 Rooms renovated in

the boys’ houses

37 Percentage of students receiving

financial aid or merit awards

18 Planned gifts received

16 Percentage of students benefitting

from the Learning Center

12 Cities that have hosted

campaign events

Meet the ChallengeAlumni and friends have established

the following ways to give to the Second Century Campaign:

• A friend of Darlington has made a generous pledge in the form of a challenge grant for endowing faculty support. This commitment provides a 1:1 match of every gift to the faculty endowment, up to $500,000.

• A family of Darlington alumni has made a generous pledge in the form of a challenge grant that will expand endowment for financial aid and merit-based scholarships. This grant provides a 1:1 match of every gift to the financial aid endowment, up to $500,000.

• Thornwood alumnae have established the Thornwood Scholarship to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their alma mater.

To find out more about these giving opportunities or make your pledge today,

please contact the Second Century Campaign staff at [email protected].

87%$78,425,605


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GJ: That’s what we’ve said from the start. What we are doing today will transform the future of Darlington and will have an impact on the lives of students and faculty for years to come.

JD: They’re the beneficiaries of the success of this campaign. We are showing students and faculty just how much we care about them.Without question, gifts to these two campaign priorities create life-changing opportunities for students and their families, and for faculty. A gift to student or faculty-directed endowment is one that promises great return. Find out how you can support Darlington’s students and faculty by contacting the Second Century Campaign staff at [email protected].

Quick Facts

Winter 2011

Darlington Magazine

“Mr. Ham was my French teacher. His class was very difficult and I barely got through it, but later in life I came to appreciate the lessons he taught me. I ended up going to a language institute and even spent some time traveling and living in Europe. His French also came in handy in grad school. I thought all the teachers at Darlington were very sincere and dedicated to really preparing us for college and for life, and that was tough because a lot of us weren’t that interested in learning! But they were very patient with us. I got through college and I have two master’s degrees, so I think they did a pretty good job!”

Bob Withers (’60) Phoenix, Ariz.

“I feel very fortunate because the most influential faculty member during my time at Darlington School was also my father, Jerry Sharp. He always expected me to work harder than everyone else and that is the reason I am successful today. Not many people have the chance to play for and be coached by their dad. It was an experience of a lifetime. He not only taught me the lessons of the game, but the lessons of life. When I look back at my years at Darlington, there are so many people who played a role in the person I’ve become. Darlington is like a family – everyone connected to the school has a stake in your success.”

Chad Sharp (’90) Smyrna, Ga.

“Some of my best memories at Darlington come from my time in Chorale with Mr. Paul Bumbalough. He taught us to appreciate the necessity of practice, trial and error, and more practice. Even though I never had a soloist’s voice, Mr. Bumbalough didn’t treat me as any less of a musician. I really appreciated that. I also remember Mr. Charles Hoffman, English teacher extraordinaire. He may have worn only khaki pants and white or yellow short-sleeved oxford cloth shirts for the entire time he taught at Darlington, but what he lacked in wardrobe originality he made up for in consideration for his students! I wasn’t quite an AP student but I made good grades, and Mr. Hoffman ‘got me’ and encouraged me to reach my potential in his classes. He understood that not everyone was going to make 100s on every assignment and that it was acceptable to be that student. But he also challenged us, encouraged us to reach for our goals, and congratulated us when we excelled.”

Leslie (Lawton) Fuller (’85) Rome, Ga. Pictured with her father, David Lawton (’60)

C a m p u s F e a t u r e

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Winter 2011

Lakeside LegendsAlumni reflect on the teachers and faculty who transformed their lives

Darlington’s ability to provide students with the finest college-preparatory experience available rests on the strength of our faculty and their ability to inspire young minds. When alumni return to the Lakeside for Alumni Weekend and other events throughout the year, conversation almost always turns to the legendary teachers who shaped – and often times transformed – their lives. These people have been the backbone of this institution for over 100 years and will remain so for centuries to come.

“Some of my best memories involve Jim Van Es, my basketball coach. He went out of his way to make all of us feel like a family. He was understanding and kind, but he pushed us when we needed it. I learned a lot of life lessons from him. Another teacher who comes to mind is Sally Rudert (’66T), one of my math teachers. I remember having a small, intimate class environment. She was a gentle spirit in the classroom and seemed to have the innate ability to convey the concepts in a way that were easily understood. Nowadays, I teach school, too, and I try to emulate the wonderful qualities I saw in people like Mr. Van Es and Mrs. Rudert. All my teachers at Darlington made me feel like their own

child, and that’s the way I try to treat my students.”

Rhonda (Williamson) Childs (’80) Rome, Ga.

“It was a very unique and rewarding experience to grow up with both of my parents teaching at Darlington. In addition, I would have to say that Rob Davis (’85) and my other running coaches were certainly influential. They took a lot of time out of their own lives to help us train both mentally and physically for our events. Phil Titus was another inspiration. He really focused on the individual interests of his students, always challenging us to set goals that would position us for success.”

Kristi Buice (’05) Athens, Ga. Pictured with her father, Rick Buice

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Darlington Magazine

“One of the people I remember most is Doc Regester. He gave me a true appreciation for the benefit of hard work, focus and dedication, which has helped me many, many times in my career as an attorney. A lot of my other fond memories come from athletics. On the football field, Charlie Davidson and Bob Rogers inspired more than a love of sports; they taught us the importance of teamwork, honor and integrity. No matter what we did or how we did it, the only thing they ever asked of us was that we do it with pride and with integrity. I find that that’s been a model I’ve tried to follow in my own life, and I’ve gotten a lot of rewards and personal gratification because of it. Jim Van Es was another person who challenged us to give our best effort both in the classroom and on the basketball court.”

Brad Skidmore (’80) Atlanta, Ga.

“Worth Moser really sparked my interest in learning a foreign language. I continued my study of Spanish in college and even went to school in Spain for a couple of semesters. I would say that Joe Campbell was also among the most influential faculty members during my time. He was the disciplinarian, but he was also a father figure for many of us boarding students. When we got in trouble, he always knew just how much to punish us so we wouldn’t do it again, but not so much to where we couldn’t stay in school! I always admired that in him – that he had that balance.”

Joe Blanchard (’80) Columbia, S.C.

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Winter 2011

“Being the son of a teacher and, later, president of the school gives you a somewhat unique perspective. I am always aware that Darlington School owes so much to those teachers who spent their whole lives here, as my father, R.M. Yankee, did. C.R. Wilcox, E.L. Wright, Robert Cobb, Worth Moser, Bill Judd – those are people who come to mind immediately. When it comes to the faculty or staff member who was most influential in my life, I have to start with my father because that was a personal relationship 24/7. Then, there was Dr. Wilcox, who was very much like a second father to me. His son, Bub (’43), and I grew up together and were very close friends all through life. Outside of those two people, who are obviously unique, I think that Harry Sack Milligan, my football and basketball coach and teacher, was a huge influence on my life, as was Dan McNaull, who not only taught me here but who was my mentor in coaching basketball during my three years of teaching here.”

Dick Yankee (’45) Signal Mountain, Tenn. Pictured with his wife, Susan

“The expression ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ certainly rings true when I reflect on my years spent on the Darlington campus as a baby, child and student. Some of my earliest memories involve Jack and Judy Summerbell, Ed and Mary Beachum, Bruce Burch, Bob Rogers, and Carl Paxton, to name a few. The pack of ‘faculty brats’ was not as large as it is today, but probably quite as loud with children running from one end of campus to the other. Years later, I babysat for David and Dee Dee Rhodes, Fran (’79) and Rick Buice, Laura and Raymond Murray, and others. These people were more than teachers to me; they were family members, mentors and friends. As a student, I gained a new respect for these family friends who helped raise me as I learned from them in the classroom and on the athletic fields – perpetually giving of themselves, wanting the best for all students. At home, my family witnessed firsthand the sacrifice Darlington’s faculty members make when my father, Gordon Neville (’55), would return home late from grading papers, doing duty on the hall, counseling students and much more. To me, Darlington is so much more than memories of one particular teacher or coach or administrator. My entire childhood and adolescent years were Darlington. There was no difference between home, school and social life. My brothers and I were blessed to be raised on such a beautiful campus by loving parents and a ‘village’ of caring, enthusiastic and genuine people.”

Mary Elizabeth (Neville) Martin (’90) Black Mountain, N.C. Pictured with her father, Gordon Neville (’55)


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Darlington Magazine

“I had 12 great years at Darlington and many, many great memories. I think Darlington has a unique ability to hire teachers to whom students can relate. Rick Buice was someone I worked closely with. I was interested in computers, information technology and programming, and he took me under his wing. He taught me a lot – not just about how to work a computer and write programs, but how to think about developing my mind and becoming someone who can think for themselves. I also have a lot of great memories from athletics. Claire Cheney was my tennis coach. On the court, she was quite intense and I learned a lot about how to prepare mentally for competition. That has served me well throughout the rest of my life.”

Alden (Maier) Parsons (’90) Raleigh, N.C. Pictured with her daughter, Alden

“When I first visited Darlington, my head of house James Milford saw something in me. Over the next four years, he worked with me and pushed me to be more. He knew my struggles and strengths and pulled out the best in me to make me who I am today. I transformed into a leader. Darlington set the path for my future. I am a firm believer that I am where I am right now in my life because of Darlington. Another influential person was David Powell, my English teacher my senior year. He helped me with my resume and took a vested interest in my college essay. I actually won awards for that essay, all because of him. That one-on-one personal attention really motivated me to do a lot more than I thought I could.”

Kristen Rachels (’05) Atlanta, Ga.

“There are so many faculty members from Darlington who were influential in my life; they all taught me certain things about being a man. Gordon Neville (’55), my soccer coach, taught me to play a game with class and to be a good sportsman. Craig Schmidt taught me how to study and how to love and appreciate history. I still look back at him as one of my best teachers at Darlington even though I was terrified of the class. I also look back at the leadership of Bruce Burch, how much fun he made history and the characters he brought

to life. Another memory that comes to mind involves Brad Gioia. One time I got in trouble and he pulled me aside and told me not to take it too hard because this was part of growing up. He said it was just one of life’s lessons and I would be a better man because of it. In the moment, I was upset and hurt but looking back he was right.”

Jimmy Smith (’94) Rome, Ga. Pictured with his wife, Hollye, and daughter, Mary Burke


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Lakeside LegendsAt Darlington, we are fortunate to have talented instructors like those mentioned here who are committed to child-centered learning and devoted to the mission of our school. The Second Century Campaign will substantially increase endowment designated for faculty support so we can continue to attract and keep educators of the highest caliber.

For more information on the campaign or to make a contribution in honor of your favorite

faculty member, please contact [email protected].

“It’s hard for me to think back on my time at Darlington without remembering Coach Tim Green, our health teacher and football line coach. My brother, Chas (’98), and I would spend hours in his office, talking, laughing, debating and generally just hanging out. The conversations we had are some of the ones I still look back on when I reach one of those difficult moments in life. While the things he got paid to teach me, and certainly did, were the importance of daily fitness and my blocking assignments, he took the extra time to provide me an example of Christian manhood that I seek to emulate today. It wasn’t until I left that I discovered what a rare thing it was to have teachers not only interested in the success of their students in the classroom, but in their lives as well. At Darlington, the push is always developing young minds and hearts. Memorizing the Kreb’s Cycle or writing a great paper on ‘Heart of Darkness’ was certainly a goal and something to be applauded, but the true focus was on building a young man or woman who would have not only the tools but the desire and character to go out and change the world. What better place is there than one that encourages adults to mentor young men and women in that way? I can’t think of any.”

Cline Jackson (’98) Rome, Ga. Pictured with his daughter, Christa

“Joe Campbell, Doc Regester, Worth Moser, Ed Goode, Larry Muschamp, George Dorsey, Sally Rudert (’66T), Gwen Stepp, Gloria Eberhart, Jim Van Es, Todd Turner, Charlie Davidson, Gordon Neville (’55), George Awsumb, Bill Supon, Coit Troutman, John Cunningham, Rick Buice – these are just a few of my teachers at Darlington who remained my friends after graduation. Not all of these individuals were classroom teachers for me, but they all ‘taught’ me during my time at Darlington and in the years after. These relationships and friendships continue to impact my life 35 years later, though many of them are no longer among us. Darlington’s influence may not appear to be unique when compared to other educational institutions of the same caliber, but I can assure you that it is unique for those who attended, learned and lived it. And for us, it is the relationships formed during our time there that have had the greatest impact.”

Hal Storey (’75) Rome, Ga. Pictured with Mary Kate (Vick) Fuller (’84)

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Darlington Magazine

When did you first realize your passion for education?

I realized my passion for education at age 17 while working in a day care center. The center was filled with kids that needed so much more than the basics. I was consumed emotionally and physically. I loved it!

Why did you want to become an educator? I knew in my heart it was my calling. My favorite place is in a classroom. I have never considered a different career.

What do you enjoy most about working with young people?

Joy! Young people bring joy and laughter to any situation. There is nothing more magical than a room full of young people learning and discovering.

Tell us a little bit about your professional background.

Prior to my work with students who have learning differences, I worked at both public and private schools with students of all ages. I have approximately 17 years experience in education.

When and why did you make the transition from classroom teaching to Learning Center work?

I have always had an interest in teaching and learning styles. Early in my career, I volunteered to pilot a multi-age program based on diversifying teaching style and assessment to meet the needs of each student. Since that third year in my career, I have moved in that direction and created curriculum based on student needs and learning styles. I have taught kindergarten through college and the same principles apply in every subject and at every stage of development.

What initially attracted you to Darlington School and its Learning Center program?

Darlington is a complete and integrated educational journey that appreciates diversity in all aspects. The moment I stepped onto the campus, I could truly feel the passion for education and the sincere commitment to each and every student.

What have been your primary goals during your first six months at Darlington?

My primary goal has been to build relationships with our students, families, and the faculty and staff. I have tried to diversify my time and really get to know and understand the culture of Darlington. It is a great place that is bubbling with ingenuity and creativity.

This year, the name has changed to the Teaching and Learning Center. Please explain how the new name better defines the role of the center.

At Darlington, we are dedicated to bringing the best practices to all of our students, regardless of their individual learning styles. This means we must focus on the way we teach as well as the way our students learn. The Teaching and Learning Center is directly involved with the classroom teachers and all academic support programs at all three divisions.

How has this philosophical change and increased focus on teaching impacted your role as director of the Teaching and Learning Center?

I believe it has created a stronger collegial community that is able to support each and every student, regardless of learning styles or differences. As a school community, we share a vision for a Teaching and Learning Center that supports and delivers curriculum through diverse and differentiated instruction. Through collaboration and professional development, we are able to serve as a catalyst of rigorous, relevant and innovative instruction that allows students to identify their strengths and apply them to overcome their deficits. Students will take an active role in their learning and understand there are no limits to their educational opportunities regardless of learning differences.

How does the Teaching and Learning Center allow teachers to be more successful in the classroom?

Our program educates and engages all of our faculty members on the importance of differentiation and diverse teaching styles so that we can meet the needs of every student at Darlington.

What types of resources are offered through the Teaching and Learning Center?

Because the Teaching and Learning Center works with every department to support differentiation in instruction and assessment, our teachers have an array of resources at their fingertips. In addition to the professional development opportunities we offer on campus, we are committed to funding additional training opportunities around the country when appropriate. Our outstanding I.T. staff helps us immensely by providing all the latest gadgets (and training!) to help our faculty members connect with students in the 21st Century.

Recently we purchased the web-based Study Island program to assist all of our students. This program provides tutorial lessons, practice exercises and enrichment activities. Several students are also using Smart Pulse Pens and Dragon Speak software to support their academic progress.

In terms of parent involvement, our door is always open. Parents are always welcome to schedule an appointment with me or with one of our learning specialists to receive personalized instruction and resources to support their child. We also offer a variety of parent workshops throughout the year and encourage parent engagement via our blogs and web-based resources.

What other programs have you visited and what sort of information have you gleaned from these visits that might be useful at Darlington?

Our team was fortunate to visit the Swift School near Atlanta and learn the latest techniques in regard to Dyslexia. They are implementing some very interesting executive function strategies. We also visited The Howard School in the Atlanta area. This school is very progressive and creatively meets the needs of their population. Rick Lavoie was their guest speaker that evening and discussed the family dynamics that influence success in school. I later visited The Lovett School in Atlanta. Their lower school director, Mary Baldwin, was a wealth of information and opened her doors and curriculum to Darlington School. In October, I traveled to The Fletcher School in Charlotte, N.C. This outstanding school

Marla Lee joined the Darlington family in July as director of the Teaching and Learning Center. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.Ed. Reading Specialist from the University of Central Florida. She has 15 years of teaching experience at the elementary, middle school and college levels, during which time she has taught an array of subjects including language arts, reading, science, media production and math. Marla and her husband, Bryan, are the parents of current students Tyler (’14) and Tommy (’16).

Marla Lee

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offers a comprehensive educational program that addresses and brings successful strategies for learning disabilities and/or ADHD. I also attended a conference in Putney, Vt., and spent several days at Landmark College. This was an outstanding experience that examined the complex nature of learning differences. There were several experts from diverse backgrounds with very interesting perspectives and ideas in regard to the best practices for success. While in Vermont, I spent a day with students at the Greenwood Boys Academy. This boarding school focuses on awakening talents and maximizing potential. The campus includes a state-of-the-art wood shop and beautiful housing that is maintained by the student body. In February, our team attended the Learning Disabilities Association 48th Annual International Conference in Jacksonville, Fla.

What do you see as the Teaching and Learning Center’s greatest strengths?

I would say the greatest strengths are our people. The charisma and work ethic of our students is truly amazing. The energy that fills the center is a catalyst for learning and growing. In addition, the relationships that form between the students and learning specialists are powerful and rooted in sincere dedication for success. Our learning specialists have the heart and the intellect to identify and bring out each student’s individual gifts. They travel on a journey together to conquer all challenges through their strengths.

Approximately what percentage of Darlington students use services offered by the Teaching and Learning Center?

The Teaching and Learning Center currently serves approximately 16 percent of the population at Darlington School, grades pre-K to 12. This number varies as our door is always open and we love to see new faces in the center. Our commitment to supporting the individual needs of every student dictates how often we meet with each student and the intensity of the lessons. One student might stop in occasionally with a question, while another student might spend a few hours each day in the center. The center works as a team with locations and specialists at each division, all of whom are powerful motivators and experts in their field. It is with intention that the Teaching and Learning Center provides support and curriculum for a 14-year program that develops the whole child and values their individual styles and talents.

The Lower School Center serves 9 percent of our population in grades pre-K to 4 and follows an academy-style approach, under the direction of Renee Hutchins. Renee is an amazing teacher trained in Orton Gillingham, a tailored program that teaches a very prescriptive, direct and explicit approach that is intentional in design to help children in the areas of reading, writing and spelling.

Our Middle School program is under the guidance of the multi-talented Lisa Goldin, who is also trained in Orton Gillingham. Lisa serves approximately 15 percent of Middle School students through her work in the classrooms, helping with differentiated instruction, and directly with students in the center. She also teaches Study Skills and helps foster the traits students will need as they enter the Upper School.

The Glenn Teaching and Learning Center serves approximately 17 percent of our Upper School students. Powered by Keith Trotter and Jean Bonnyman, the center provides college guidance and sound executive function skills to prepare each student for success at the next level by identifying and using their strengths and talents. Students are present in the center for approximately 10 hours each day. Our staff also reaches out to the entire residential community, spending a minimum of eight hours each week in the boarding houses.

What are the most common misconceptions when people hear the term “Learning Center?”

The most common misconception is that the Teaching and Learning Center serves students that are academically challenged or low in academic ability. This could not be further from the truth! The students who use our program are extremely bright and destined to succeed. It is their ability to see the world from all perspectives – with deep intellectual capacity – that creates the need for the Teaching and Learning Center to adapt traditional lessons and teaching models to accommodate these brilliant students and their diverse learning styles. The second most common misconception is the idea that we are a tutoring center. While we do coordinate tutors and peer tutoring, we are so much more than a tutoring center. The Teaching and Learning Center delivers comprehensive and complex techniques and strategies that teach students how they learn and provides lifelong tools for success. Every student requires a different plan and approach that is uniquely designed.

Who have been the key players in making the Teaching and Learning Center a reality for Darlington?

Headmaster Tom Whitworth came to this campus in 2005 with the vision that Darlington School would be a place where each and every child would have the opportunity and resources to learn with passion, and he worked closely with my predecessor Libbie Zimmer to make it happen. The Teaching and Learning Center facilitates this by supporting and enhancing the academic experience for all students in grades pre-K through 12, while directly serving students who have documented learning differences.

After approximately a year of research and planning, the Teaching and Learning Center opened its doors in 2006 thanks to the unanimous support of the Board of Trustees, who reached into their own pockets to fund its first two years of operation. Then, Jack Glenn Jr., Alson Glenn (’57), Bob Glenn (’60) and Lewis Glenn (’64) of The Jack and Anne Glenn Foundation stepped up with the first major gift, which named the Upper School’s Glenn Learning Center. Last summer, Michael Kahn (’78) made a substantial gift to the Second Century Campaign, which will nearly round out the endowment for the Teaching and Learning Center and sustain its operation for years to come.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to Tom, our Board of Trustees, the Glenn brothers and Mr. Kahn, and all the other alumni, parents and friends who have stepped up in support of Darlington’s Teaching and Learning Center. In doing so, you have sent a powerful message. You are telling the world that not all great minds think alike and that you are committed to supporting us as we educate our school family and the independent school community as a whole. This is a huge step in the right direction to bring understanding to learning differences and the brilliant children who will one day shape our world.

What is your vision for the future of Darlington’s Teaching and Learning Center?

I dream big! I would love to see Darlington School’s Teaching and Learning Center as a model and training center for schools around the world. We watch children grow and succeed here every day because we appreciate their differences, recognize their brilliance and foster their strengths. Their strengths are often found in the arts, and I would love to see a program and a facility that could unite these resources and showcase the talents of our students. I want the world to see how amazing and gifted our students are and understand that learning differences are found in the most amazing and intellectually gifted people. They are so commonly misunderstood and seen in a negative light. I want students, parents and the community to see learning differences as a blessing and a gift.

How will the funds raised by the Second Century Campaign to endow the Teaching and Learning Center make your vision a reality?

The Darlington Community’s support of this strategic initiative speaks volumes about the sort of learning community we are, and it has certainly captured the attention and support of educational leaders around the country. The endowment ensures our perpetual existence and growth, thereby allowing us to focus on our program and deliver our vision to students for generations to come.

Marla Lee


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Darlington Magazine

C a m p u s V i e w

Since its inception in 1991, Darlington’s annual fine

arts event has evolved from a one-day festival to a month-long celebration involving students at all grade levels. This year’s event was extra special because it coincided with Alumni Weekend, offering

more than 500 visitors a variety of opportunities to observe and take part in the festivities. The celebration kicked off with the annual Fall for the Arts Festival on Oct. 15 in the Middle School Courtyard, featuring performances by the Lower School Chorus, the Lower School Strings Ensemble,

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the 7th and 8th Grade Band, the Middle School Jazz Band, the 5th and 6th Grade Chorus, the Ladies’ and Men’s Chorales, the Darlingtones, the Random Notes, the Glee Club, the Musical Theater class, the dance team and student musician Tanna Key (’12). Selections from the student-produced show “Actin’

Out,” poetry readings and instrumental solos were also included in the lineup. Guests were invited back to campus Saturday and Sunday to view a gallery of student artwork and attend performances by the Instrumental Music Conservatory as well as the school’s award-winning choral ensembles.

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Darlington Magazine

“It was exciting to have Shakeem on the same U17 team because we have been competing with each other for the past year with Darlington School Soccer Academy,” said Minors, who has played soccer for 12 years. “We understand each other’s game and the combinations we have together are excellent.”

Minors has competed at the national level since the age of 13, when he was first selected to represent Bermuda on the U14 team. In August, he was

a designated starter for the U17 team and even scored a goal in a World Cup Qualifier. He also joined the Bermuda U20 team as they competed against Guadalupe, Haiti and Antigua in September and October 2010.

Minors and Albouy are only two of 18 current Soccer Academy members who have played at the national team or U.S. Soccer’s regional team level.

“Training for the national competitions is strict and the sessions are intense, but Darlington’s Soccer Academy has prepared me for these experiences both mentally and physically,” Minors said. “Soccer Academy Coach Chad Liddle moved me up to the U19 team this past year, which has prepared me to play at a much higher level of competition.”

But it’s not just young men who are being tapped to represent their countries on the soccer field. Jane

Campbell (’13) is one of four girls’ Soccer Academy players currently competing at the national level, representing the U.S. on the U15, U16 and U17 national teams. She competed with the U17 team in August and November 2010 against world-class opponents like Nigeria and South Korea.

“It has always been one of my dreams to play for the U.S. and I hope I will keep on getting called back in the future,” said the 16-year-old keeper from Kennesaw, Ga. “When I stepped onto the field with the national team for the first time, it felt unreal. I was super nervous, but we had all bonded at camp so it felt like I was playing with some of my closest friends.

“When I was little, I used to tell my dad that I wanted to play on the national team and to actually be doing it is just incredible,” Campbell continued. “It is quite an experience to play against other country’s national team when you are 14 and 15 years old. Our coaches at camp always tell us that it’s an honor to wear that crest on your chest, so we should represent the U.S. as best as we can. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

When Jair Minors (’12) took the field with Bermuda’s U17 national soccer team in August 2010, he was both honored and humbled to represent his home country in this capacity. But perhaps most memorable was the opportunity for Minors to play alongside his high school friend and teammate, Shakeem Albouy (’12), on the national stage.

Best of the BestSoccer Academy players represent home countries on the field

Jair Minors (’12) competes with Bermuda’s U17 national team in 2010. The team played Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

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Campbell, who has been playing at the national level for over a year, also competes with the club team Concorde Fire South. Her early success in the sport has inspired her to set some very lofty goals for herself, and at the rate she is going anything is possible.

“I hope to get called into every national team camp there is, to be the starting keeper for the U17 World Cup in two years, play Division I soccer and start all four years, be the starting keeper for the full women’s national team during the Olympics, and eventually win a gold medal,” she said.

Other current students playing at the national and regional levels include Harold Antor (’13) for the Bahamian U17 national team; Enrique Bello (’12) for the Venezuelan U17 and U18 national team; Michael Bellot (’11) for the Bahamian U18, U20 and full men’s national team; Ashley Borde (’12) for the Cayman U17 national team; Shannon Burchall (’11) for the Bermuda U16 and U18 national team; Michael Butler (’12) for the Bahamian U17 national team; Joe DeLoach (’12) for the U.S. Region III player pool; Myles Englis (’12) for the U.S. Region III player pool; Na’eem

Griffith (’12) for the Bermuda U16 and U18 national team; Celina Kassam (’13) for the Canadian regional team; Brandyn Murray (’12) for the Cayman U17 national team pool; Kheerson Simmons (’11) for the Bahamian U17 and U18 national pool; Robert Somner (’12) for the Bermuda U17 national pool; Allison Wetherington (’13) for the U.S. U16 national team pool; and Armando Zapata (’11) for the Venezuelan U17 and U18 national team.

“We are extremely proud of all our players who are involved with regional and national team responsibilities,” Liddle said. “It is a huge honor to be selected to represent your home country on the field, and these student-athletes are among the best of the best in their sport. I can’t say enough about how proud we are of what our young people are accomplishing both on and off the field; it speaks volumes about the program we offer here at Darlington School.”


Shannon Burchall (’11)

Shakeem Albouy (’12)

Michael Bellot (’11)Harold Antor (’13)

Celina Kassam (’13)Myles Englis (’12)

Armando Zapata (’11)Robert Somner (’12)

Ashley Borde (’12)Enrique Bello (’12)

Na’eem Griffith (’12)Joe DeLoach (’12)Michael Butler (’12)

Allison Wetherington (’13)Kheerson Simmons (’11)Brandyn Murray (’12)

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Jane Campbell (’13)

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Coach Alan Parish calls this year’s girls’ varsity cross country team “the group he’s been waiting six years to coach.” After a tough season plagued with injury and sickness, seven girls pushed themselves to the limit to claim the Class A State Championship trophy – the seventh in the program’s history – and no one was as proud of them as Parish.

Dream Big or Go HomeCross country team overcomes obstacles to win state title

Lindsay Evans (‘12) runs the course at the Darlington Invitational.

“Every member of the team gave a solid effort, with five of our girls finishing within 39 seconds of one another,” Parish said. “It was definitely a team win and we couldn’t have done it without the hard work of each of those girls who ran the course that day – Ansley McDurmon (’12), Lindsay Evans (’12), Bethany Cagle (’14), Joy Diaz (’11), Anna Shea (’11), Margaret Hjort (’11) and Remy Jennings (’13).”

On his first day as the Middle School coach in August 2005, Parish met 27 young runners – among them, Hjort, McDurmon and Shea.

“It took me months to learn the names of all 27 girls, but theirs I

learned quickly,” Parish said. “Anna: because when they played pick-up football games on the Middle School lawn, she was better than all the boys. Margaret: because of her quiet leadership and long, red hair. Ansley: because she was the smallest and had a contagious, positive attitude. That year, we won the first-ever Rome Area Middle School Cross Country Championship by a landslide.”

The following year, Evans and Jennings joined the team and the girls clinched their second consecutive Rome Area Championship in dominant fashion. In 2007, Hjort and Shea moved on to high school and Cagle became a member of the Middle School team.

“After having such great success in Floyd County, I decided to take the team to Wesleyan School to see how we stacked up against some of the finest middle schools in Atlanta,” Parish said. “Our girls placed first of about 20 teams and then they won their third Rome Area Championship in a row. It was at that point that these girls and I started talking and dreaming about someday winning a state championship.”

When Parish was named head varsity coach in 2008, he was thrilled to be coaching several of the same girls he had been working with since 2005. McDurmon and Evans immediately became the high school team’s No. 1 and No. 2 runners, positions they would hold for the next three years.

“Ansley, Lindsay, Anna and Margaret were in our Top 5 and scored a perfect 15 at the 2008 Region 6A Championship,” he said. “Ansley also won the first of two straight individual region titles. The team took fourth at state that year.”

The next two years saw the addition of Diaz and then Cagle, bringing the roster to 19 girls in the fall of 2010.

“After having only eight girls in

2008, it was thrilling to have so many talented runners,” Parish said. “I knew the depth of having 19 would make our Top 7 much faster and hungrier.”

Most of the team trained 20-40 miles a week on their own throughout the summer. In July, they spent a week at Appalachian State University’s team camp. It was then that Parish told the girls that this was the season they had all dreamed about – the pieces were in place to contend for a state title. But unfortunately, the week took a bad turn when McDurmon became ill and another runner suffered a severe ankle sprain. The girls left the camp excited about the season but discouraged by the poor health of their teammates.

When school began in August, Shea – who finished first on the team at the Appalachian Camp race – tore several tendons in her foot and ankle. She would end up missing most of the season. Going into their first meet at Berry College, team morale was low. But despite the circumstances, they took fourth place.

“Unfortunately, this meet would be the last for another one of our girls, who began suffering from seizures,” Parish said. “I met with the team and told them we needed to pray for the return to health of all our team members.”

At the Decision Bridge Invitational, the Lady Tigers managed to place third out of 16. Winning the meet was First Presbyterian Day School, ranked first in Class A.

“They finished far ahead of us; we had much work to do,” Parish said.

The Lady Tigers’ third meet was the low point of the 2010 season. Lacking focus and with the distraction of teammates who were unable to compete, they lost the City-County Championship by one point to cross-town rival Rome High School.

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Shea started running again in October. Though not yet cleared for competition, this gave the team a much-needed lift. The same month, Lady Tigers placed first at the Run at the Rock Invitational in Cartersville, Ga., finishing 14 points ahead of two 5A and one 4A school. McDurmon had her best race of the season, placing first on the team and second in the race with a 19:59, the only sub-20 minute 5K time for the team all year.

“In a year of sprained ankles and way too many doctor’s visits, we learned that winning doesn’t happen simply because of a few fast girls,” McDurmon said. “It comes from each individual’s desire to contribute. I thank the Lord for the adversity that made us stronger, closer and that much more passionate about winning.”

Their next meet would be the Last Chance Invitational on the state course in Carrollton, Ga. Shea returned, almost equaling her 5K time from the previous year’s state meet. The Lady Tigers were ready for region.

“At region, Ansley, Lindsay, Bethany, Joy, Anna, Margaret and Remy were all in uniform at the same time for the first time ever,” Parish said. “They won Darlington its fifth consecutive region title in dominant fashion, with our Top 5 placing in the Top 10 of the race and all seven of our girls placing ahead of the No. 5 runners from the other seven teams in the region.”

Though ecstatic about their win, Parish and the team knew they still had a huge obstacle to overcome to achieve their goal of winning a state title – First Presbyterian Day School.

“They’d been ranked first since the pre-season and dominated Class A for the entire months of September and October,” Parish said. “They’re led by sophomore Grace Tinkey, the fastest female in the State of Georgia, who frequently runs 5Ks in under 18 minutes. Not only that, their No. 2 runner, Victoria Coppage, also runs sub-20. We knew winning state was going to be tough, but we were up for the challenge.”

Parish met with his team and laid out a plan of action – specifically,

what it would take to beat No. 1 First Presbyterian and No. 2 Athens Christian. (At the time, Darlington was ranked third.)

“I created a virtual meet based on the times I believed the Top 100 or so girls in Class A would run at state,” Parish said. “I explained that if we ran to our potential, we would win. We accepted the fact that First Presbyterian’s top two would finish ahead of us, focusing instead on putting the rest of our team ahead of their No. 5. I told the girls all season long that we had the best depth of any team in the state, and it was going to help us win. They left the meeting thrilled and focused, knowing they could do what it would take.”

The state championship meet took place the first Saturday in November.

“Going into the race, I truly believed that we could do it,” Evans said. “Our team consisted of girls you could always count on to run hard and do their job. This was a special group.”

Once the girls took off, Parish found a spot on the course and waited eagerly to gauge their positions.

“They passed me for the first time at two-thirds of a mile and I was pleased,” he said. “They passed me again at two and one-third and everyone had moved up into even better positions.”

First Presbyterian’s Tinkey won the race, as expected, finishing almost a minute ahead of second place. However, that didn’t matter to the Lady Tigers. Rather than having one or two standout performances, they used solid efforts from every team member, with their Top 5 finishers ending the race less than a minute apart. McDurmon led the pack with a 12th place finish, followed by Evans at 16th, Cagle at 26th, Diaz at 27th, Shea at 28th, Hjort at 49th and Jennings at 75th.

“When I crossed the finish line, I turned around and saw four other girls in Darlington purple racing toward me,” McDurmon said. “I jumped, screamed, cried and bear-hugged Lindsay all in one move. All I could say was, ‘We did it – we won!’”

Though it would be 45 minutes before the officials tallied the scores, Parish and his team were confident they had

scored high enough to take home the title. At the awards ceremony, their hopes were realized when the announcer called out the state runner-up – First Presbyterian Day School.

“It was one of the best moments of my life so far,” Evans said. “It was so great to represent Darlington well and bring the trophy home.”

Parish calls it total euphoria. “We hugged and celebrated for 30 minutes as the girls jumped in the air and rolled round on the ground,” he said. “Our six-year journey to victory has been exciting, heartbreaking, entertaining, exhausting and fun. Now that it’s complete, it’s time to start another journey.”

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Joy Diaz (‘11). Bethany Cagle (‘14), Ansley McDurmon (‘12), Lindsay Evans (‘12),

Remy Jennings (’13), Anna Shea (‘11) and Margaret Hjort (‘11)

Winter 2011

RUMPUS

It only happens once a year. Each January, day and boarding students representing each of Darlington’s six residential houses vie for the coveted title of RUMPUS champion during three days of intense competition. This year’s players included the beautiful Greek goddesses of Cooper House, the elves of Summerbell House, Robin Hood and her band of merry Regester House women, the Harajuku fashionistas of Thornwood House, Team America from Neville House and the Bro-ser brotherhood from Moser House. Teams made spirit banners and donned creative costumes as they competed in events planned by head prefects from each house. Students and faculty members alike played dodgeball, ate odd food combinations during Fear Factor, racked their brains during Mind Skillet and Team Trivia, baked without a recipe during Iron Chef, took center stage during Lip Sync and pushed themselves to their physical limit during the final challenge – The Gauntlet. The boys of Neville House banked over 50 points to be named 2011 RUMPUS champs and, as always, the highly anticipated weekend promoted teamwork, unity, sportsmanship, fun and laughs as the Darlington Community came together as a family.

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1929 (next reunion 2014)

Class Agent: Vacancy

Lawrence Lansdell celebrated his 100th birthday at Rome’s Chick-fil-A Dwarf House in September 2010 with many friends, including Alumni Relations Director Vicki Vincent.

Lawrence Lansdell (’29) and Vicki Vincent


Class Agent: Gardner Wright

Hugh Richardson Jr. writes: “At Darlington, my roommate Preston Stevens (’47) joked that he played the piano even though he had a ‘dead finger.’ Preston still plays the piano and his ‘dead finger’ didn’t slow him when he banged out ‘Georgia On My Mind’ and his wife Marian’s favorite, ‘When I Fall In Love’ on Atlanta’s ‘Mighty Mo’ – one of the world’s largest organs. The organ is located at the landmark Fox Theater, which Preston, a preservationist, helped save from a developer’s wrecking ball.”



Tom Cousins was named to Atlanta Business Chronicle’s list of “100 Most Influential Atlantans.”



John Ottley Jr.’s third book of poetry, “The Seventh Deadliest Fear,” has been published by Main Street Rag Publishing in Charlotte, N.C. See a sample of his work at www.mainstreetrag.com/jottley.html.


Class Agents: Alston Glenn, Bob Ragan

Paul Harmon is the subject of a new book called “Paul Harmon, Crossing Borders,” a 360-page monograph of his paintings. This volume is a comprehensive catalog of 526 selected paintings and 124 ancillary photographs and art images from the years 1961-2009. Included is a biography, review and lecture snippets, quotes, and personal correspondence which provides the reader insight to the work and the artist.

Bob Ragan published a book called “History of Gastonia and Gaston County, N.C.: A Vision of America at its Best.” It is available at the Gaston County Museum of Art & History in Dallas.


Class Agents: Terry Bradshaw, Alex Wyatt

Jerry Reves has retired as dean of the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. He and his wife, Jenny Cathcart, are currently traveling around the world on their boat, The Sweetgrass. A newspaper article reports: “They’ll take the Intracoastal Waterway to Chesapeake Bay, float their way to New York, head up the Hudson River to Montreal, cross the Canadian canals into the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron and pass through the Great Lakes to Chicago. Then they will trek down the Illinois River to

Class of 1960

Robert Freeman (’63) pictured with Chief Advancement Officer Joe Montgomery at the Jacksonville Gathering.

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Winter 2011

the Mississippi River, turn southward and ride the great Mississippi current until they reach the Tennessee River, hop onto the Ohio briefly to get to the Cumberland River, which they’ll take to visit Nashville, then find their way to the Tombigbee River. They’ll float south twixt Mississippi and Alabama to Mobile, hit the oil-slicked Gulf of Mexico to get to New Orleans for a spell, continue on to Houston, where an old college roommate lives, then head back along the coast, down the Florida peninsula to the Keys and around the bend to the Intracoastal Waterway on the east side of the state, riding north until Charleston is back in their sights.” The Sweetgrass has a single diesel engine that will take them the full 5,500 miles at an average of 10 mph.

1965 (next reunion 2015


Garland Tucker III’s book, “The High Tide of American Conservatism – Davis, Coolidge and the 1924 Election,” has received rave reviews from the Wall Street Journal, National Review, U.S. News & World Report and others. Larry Kudlow of CNBC said, “I fell in love with this book! It’s the story of one of my old heroes – Calvin Coolidge – and now, thanks to the book, a new hero – John W. Davis.” Garland’s book is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders.


Class Agent: Lee Thuston

Charles Hight Jr. and his wife, Lee, received the Distinguished Service Award from Shorter University in October 2010. This award is given to alumni who have given outstanding service to the college in leadership, volunteerism, on-campus service, recruiting efforts or financial support. Charles and Lee have served as co-presidents of the Alumni Governing Board from 2006 to present, co-chairpersons of the Library Campaign for Excellence and co-chairpersons of the Shorter, A Community campaign. Charles, former vice president of Simpson Grocery, volunteers at the Rome/Floyd County Boys and Girls Club. He is also past-chairman of the Floyd County Wildlife Association, co-chairman of the NRA of Rome

and past-chairman of Rome Ducks Unlimited. He is a Rome Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and a member of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team. Lee, a former educator at Darlington’s Lower School, is a past recipient of the Heart of the Community Award and serves as chairwoman of the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority. She also serves as a member of the Myrtle Hill-Oak Hill Memorial Association, the Junior Service League, the Rome/Floyd County Tourism Board and the Garden Club. She volunteers at the Rome/Floyd County Soup Kitchen and Good Neighbor Ministry. They are members of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rome and they have three children, Charlie Hight (’95), Mary (Hight) Sawhill (’96) and Betsy (Hight) Richie (’98), and three grandchildren.

Class of 1960 Class of 1970

Class of 1965

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A l u m n i P r o f i l e

“Over the past 15 years, we have helped many people improve their lives – it’s exciting,” said Wardlaw, founder of the center. “You simply cannot get a decent job without a high school degree or GED, and if you go on to a community college and learn a specialty you can greatly increase your income and feel good about your life. The Adult Learning Center helps people accomplish these goals.”

When students enroll, they are given a test to determine their strengths and weaknesses. In Phase 1, they focus on their weakest subject using printed material, computer programs and other resources. Staff members are available for one-on-one instruction any time the student needs it. When the teacher determines that the student is ready, he or she takes another test in the subject. Almost all advance their grade level, which gives them confidence that they can learn and be successful. The process is then repeated, always working first on the student’s weakest subject.

“When they reach a certain level, they are allowed to enter Phase 2. These are lecture-type classes on specific subjects,” Wardlaw explained. “Once the teacher thinks a student is ready, he or she is given a practice GED test. If they pass, they are scheduled to take the

GED, given by an outside agency. The Adult Learning Center pays for this test.”

“Incidentally, the GED is considerably harder than the high school exit exam,” Wardlaw continued. “By policy, the GED is set at a level so high that 40 percent of graduating seniors cannot pass it. In 2010, we had 160 students get their GED – this is a huge accomplishment for them.”

Other components of the curriculum include literacy instruction and English as a Second Language.

Wardlaw founded the center in 1995 after retiring as president of Wardlaw Sales Inc., a position he had held for 20 years. While some would bask in the extra free time that often comes with retirement, Wardlaw got right to

work on building a program that would address some of the gaps he saw in the local education system.

“In 1990, Spartanburg had a very high rate of high school dropouts, but our adult education enrollment in the program run by the public school system is less than half of the state average,” he explained. “I asked a group of interested citizens to help and after much discussion we decided that we needed a separate, non-profit corporation so we could raise money from the public and from businesses. Our mission would be to raise the education level of under-educated citizens of Spartanburg.”

The Adult Learning Center opened in the spring of 1995 with one part-

John Wardlaw (’40)A Passion for Progress

John Wardlaw (’40) has accomplished a great deal in his 87 years of life. He graduated from Darlington as salutatorian in 1940 and went on to Davidson College and Georgia Tech. He served in the U.S. Navy as a communications officer aboard a destroyer escort in World War II. He had a successful, 49-year career in the textile industry, working his way up from management trainee to president. But when you talk to him, he will humbly tell you that his greatest accomplishment has been his work with The Adult Learning Center in his hometown of Spartanburg, S.C.

Christopher Hull, a current student at the Adult Learning Center, talks with John Wardlaw (’40).

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Winter 2011

time teacher and a budget of $40,000. The start-up funds came mostly from the Spartanburg County Foundation and from Milliken Inc., one of Wardlaw’s former employers. In its first year of operation, the center served approximately 100 students. This number has since grown to well over 1,000 and the operating budget, to well over $400,000. The center itself has been expanded three times.

“Spartanburg is a generous community when it comes to education and its citizens fund many scholarships in addition to providing generous gifts to the Adult Learning Center,” Wardlaw said. “We have also partnered with several organizations, including the Spartanburg County Library and the Workforce Investment Board. We are grateful for the support of our community; without it, we could not do what we do.”

Wardlaw served as director of The Adult Learning Center for its first five years of operation and then as chairman of the Board until 2002. He is now chairman emeritus and though he is no longer as involved in the daily activities of the center, his passion for its mission has not wavered.

“We are all excited about our future, but unfortunately we still face challenges in funding,” said Wardlaw, who has received numerous awards and honors for his work with The Adult Learning Center. “Last year, we ran a deficit and this year, in order to balance the budget, we had to cut salaries of all employees, reduce hours of operation and, for the first time, charge a small fee to our students.”

But just as retirement did not slow Wardlaw down, neither will these challenges.

“Most students come to us because we have helped someone they know and as we help more people, the number of students enrolling will continue to grow,” Wardlaw said. “We are making a real difference in the lives of these people, and I would recommend that other communities do what we’re doing.”

Dean of College Guidance Sam Moss (’63) pictured with Sewanee admissions representatives Kelly O’Mara (’08) and Michael Clayton at Darlington’s College Fair.

Andy Smith was awarded a Loeb Fellowship Lecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in February 2010. The presentation focused upon the changing role of architects in American culture, especially in bringing economic justice to urban communities. The lecture was co-sponsored by the Harvard Student Committee on Activism and Social Justice.


Class Agents: Gray Morrison, Buster Wright

Jeff Cline lives in Pattaya, Thailand, and would like to hear from old pals.


Class Agent: Tom Barron

Joanie (Hackett) Schneider writes: “After retiring from the Town of Santee as tourism director and special events coordinator, I was called to be the media liaison for the local school district. It still allows me to visit my four grandchildren and play golf a couple of days a week. I’m still living in Santee, S.C., on the shores of Lake Marion and right on top of the 14th tee box at Lake Marion Resort and Country Club.”



Mike Bryant writes: “My daughter, Caitlin, and her teammates won the National Scholastic Rowing QUAD event in 2008. She is currently on the varsity rowing team at the U.S. Naval Academy. I’m looking forward to attending next year’s Class of 1971 reunion. I think the 40th is well worth attending. Hope to see many of you there!”

Bill Kelly Jr. writes: “Our son, Jack (’11), completed his first solo flight in a Cessna 150 aircraft in August 2010.”

Jack Kelly (’11) and Earl Tillman

Faylene Wright retired as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Most recently, she served as deputy director of logistics at Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, located at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. She entered the Air Force in 1979 and has since organized and led a variety of deployments. She also played a key role in the Command’s response to 9/11. Faylene’s decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with oak leaf cluster and Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with oak leaf cluster.

John and Bud Pace (’71) enjoy fishing at the Jacksonville (Fla.) Gathering.

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Darlington Magazine

C l a s s N o t e s



Hal Storey helped organize a mega-reunion for all 1975 graduates from schools in Rome and Floyd County.


Class Agents: John Gilliland, Christopher Peacock

Bill DuPre IV was featured in Georgia Trend magazine’s list of “Legal Elites” in the area of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. Bill is a partner with Miller & Martin PLLC in Atlanta. Melissa Pyle-Hamilton married Kenny Hamilton July 10, 2010, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The couple lives in Rome. Melissa writes: “Kenny’s dad, Lee Hamilton, was his best man. Bridesmaids were Janda Canalis, Tonya Walsh, Ann Rickman, Jennifer Massey and Sheila Bates. Despite the extremely hot weather, the wedding was perfect.”


Class Agent: Tony Massing

Runette Ford has renewed as a National Board Certified Teacher.Julie House earned a Doctor of Philosophy in French from Emory University. She is also a graduate of the University of Georgia and received her master’s from Middlebury College.


Class Agent: Brad Skidmore

John Cordle received the 2010 John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership from the Navy League of the United States. John Paul Jones was the U.S. Navy’s first indomitable seafighter, whose spirit of personal

sacrifice, patriotic devotion and courage further added to his glory as an inspirational leader. The award is given in tribute to one who has followed such a course of honored leadership.


Class Agent: Jule Peek

Jule Peek Jr. was featured in Georgia Trend magazine’s list of “Legal Elites” in the area of government affairs. Jule is a partner with McRae, Stegall, Peek, Harman, Smith & Manning LLP in Rome.Steve Tolbert writes: “Karen and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary on Dec. 28, 2010. Our journey started 25 years ago at Darlington’s chapel. We have two amazing young adults. Lauren is a senior at Kennesaw State University and Spencer is a freshman at the University of Georgia.”


Class Agent: Charlie Williams

Matthew Barnes writes: “My wife, Barbara, and I have just moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where I am the golf sales manager for the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, home of The Players Championship and the PGA Tour. Drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!”Ginger (Snapp) Martin writes: “I have been ‘retired’ since July 2009 after my position of credit analyst in the commercial lending department of Colonial Bank was eliminated. I have moved into my grandparents’ house that I inherited a few years ago after having it completely remodeled. They built it in 1955 and it is in an older established neighborhood that has retained its quality and charm. I love it, as does my little princess of a kitty, Snowbell! Hope you are all doing well and would love to hear from you.”

Angie Berry pictured with Stephanie (Smith) Walker (’83) at the Alumni Council Kickoff.

Alice (Curtis) Noland (’79) volunteers at the Atlanta Alumni Phonathon.

Class of 1980

Tim Morgan (’87) pictured with his mother, Pam, an advancement officer at Darlington.

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Class Agents: Katherine (Persons) Kelly, Stephanie (Smith) Walker

Beverly (Campbell) Pumphrey writes: “I live in Shelbyville, Ky., right outside of Louisville, and I am a senior analytical chemist for Jim Beam. I love my job! My boys, Foster and Campbell, are 12 and my daughter, Emma, is 11. I’ve enjoyed catching up with many of you on Facebook and have even reunited with several. I hope to see more and more of you!”


Class Agent: Wright Ledbetter

Cristina Hajosy writes: “My husband, Chris, and I are still enjoying life in the Boston area. My life is full with photography, art educating and my specialty food company, Shiso Fine. My current fine art project can be seen at www.unfairestofthemall.com.”

Cristina Hajosy (’85)

Wright Ledbetter has been named president of Rome Council for the Arts.


Class Agents: Jill (Saltino) Graham

Beth Clements writes: “Life in Texas is great. Morgan is a senior this year. Her dream is to go to the Air Force Academy in Colorado. Britt, who stands 5’11”, plays volleyball. Jordan and Samantha are in seventh and fourth grade, respectively.”


Class Agents: Mary Margaret (Estess) Johnson, Bill Temple

Bill Temple and his wife, Cammie, announce the birth of a son, William Brooke, on Jan. 3, 2008. He joined big sisters, Gracie and Camille.



Caroline (Peek) Blaylock was inducted into the Rome-Floyd Sports Hall of Fame on Feb. 28, 2011. As a student at Darlington, she was involved in softball, basketball, golf, track and tennis. She earned more than 15 varsity letters and was recruited by 40 colleges to play basketball, but only four to play golf. After graduating, she attended Furman University, where she was a three-time NCAA All-American and a three-time NCAA long drive champion. She represented the United States in the U.S.A. versus Japan Goodwill Matches in 1994. After graduating in 1995, Caroline turned professional. In 1998, she led the LPGA Tour in driving distance with a 266.98-yard average. The next year, she posted a career-best

Winter 2011

Class of 1985

Help us go green in our communications by

providing youre-mail address today.

Log onto darlingtonschool.org/alumni

and click on “Edit Profile” at the top right of the page to

update your information.

Won’t you help us be good stewards of Darlington’s

�scal resources?

Darlingtonis going

but we can’t do itwithout you!

GREEN

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“All of our Distinguished Alumni have had a deep sense of leadership; it was ingrained in them,” said Dr. Frank Stegall (’62), chairman of the Board of Trustees. “They understood the value of teamwork, assembling around them a good team that would get the job done. They had a sense of ethical behavior and personal vision for their lives. They knew what they wanted to be and they did it. They knew the importance of friendships and relationships. They had a profound sense of volunteerism – a social mission to better the lives of others. Our winners also had a tremendous gratitude toward Darlington’s influence on their lives and they showed this through their service and support of the school later in life.”

During Booker’s years at Darlington, he was a member of the Glee Club, Jabberwokk yearbook staff, baseball team and “D” Club. After graduating, he went on to earn a B.S.I.M. from Georgia Tech and an M.B.A. from Emory University. He later served two years active duty in the U.S. Air Force, attaining reserve commission of Captain.

After completing additional studies at Louisiana State University’s School of Banking of the South, Booker embarked on what would become a very successful banking career. In 1964, he became president of Peachtree Bank & Trust Co. in Chamblee, Ga. After three years, he was named executive vice president of the Trust Co. Bank of Savannah (now SunTrust Bank) in 1967. He spent four

years there before becoming president of First National Bank & Trust Co. of Augusta, Ga. (now SunTrust Bank) in 1971. After six years with First National, he was named executive vice president of the Trust Co. of Georgia (now SunTrust Bank) in 1977, a position he held until his retirement 13 years later.

Civically, Booker currently serves as a director of the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation and the Sea Island Property Owners Association. He has also been a trustee for the Georgia Council on Economic Education, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Augusta, chairman of the Richmond-Columbia Counties and North Augusta United Way, president of the Boy Scouts of America’s Georgia-Carolina Council, a member of the Medical College of Georgia President’s Advisory Council, a director of the American Cancer Society’s Richmond County Unit, president of the U.S. Army’s Greater Augusta/Fort Gordon Chapter Association, a director of the Georgia Heart Association of Richmond County, state chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Program, a member of Emory

University’s Board of Visitors, chairman of Georgia Tech’s Parents Committee and president of the Savannah Chamber of Commerce.

A former trustee of Darlington School, Booker is also a class agent and member of the J. Daniel Hanks Sr. (’27) Heritage Society. He and his wife, Judy, live in Sea Island, Ga. He has three children and two grandchildren.

“When Alumni Council President Tim Morgan (’87) called to inform me that I had been selected for this extraordinary recognition, I was surprised and astounded to say the least,” Booker said. “I asked him if he had me confused with a couple of other fellows and he assured me that he did not. I am humbled to have even been considered for this award, and I feel truly touched and honored to have been selected.”

Unfortunately, Booker was unable to attend Alumni Weekend due to unforeseen medical circumstances, so his classmate and good friend Martin Turbidy (’50) accepted the Distinguished Alumnus Award on his behalf.

“I’m just ‘pinch hitting’ for a friend,” Turbidy said. “I use baseball terminology because Claude was the

Distinguished Alumni recognized during Alumni WeekendEach fall, Darlington students are introduced to notable alumni who have achieved great success in their careers and personal lives. This year’s Distinguished Alumnus Award recipients were no exception. Claude Booker (’50) and the late Dr. Joe Johnson (’47) were recognized during a special luncheon and chapel service that kicked off the school’s Alumni Weekend celebration in October.


Claude Booker (’50) Dr. Joe Johnson (’47)

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ace of the pitching staff at Darlington his last couple of years. With each ensuing year, Claude has become more and more involved. He is the epitome of a Distinguished Alumnus and is very deserving of this award.”

Director of Alumni Relations Vicki Vincent said she hopes Booker will be able to visit the campus in the spring to give his address, at which time the award will be presented to him.

“While we are disappointed that Claude could not be here to accept this award and celebrate his 60th reunion with classmates, we are so thankful that he is feeling better,” Vincent said. “We look forward to welcoming him to campus soon. I know he will have some wonderful words of wisdom to share with our students.”

As a student at Darlington, Johnson was well known as a campus leader. In addition to playing football, basketball, tennis and baseball, he was also a member of the “Y” Cabinet, Glee Club, Rifle Club, and the Jabberwokk and Darlingtonian staffs.

“Joe was totally mature when he was 15 and I guess he was about the only student who was,” said classmate Preston Stevens (’47). “He brought me out of relative obscurity in my senior year. I had lived as quietly as I could at Darlington, never participating in much of anything. Then Joe asked me to write all the senior bios, which appeared below our photos in the Jabberwokk. Somehow he knew I loved to write – maybe even before I did!”

After graduating, Johnson went on to earn his B.A. and M.D. from Vanderbilt University. He then served two years active duty with the U.S. Navy.

In 1957, he began his residency in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins, where he was a fellow in the division of infectious diseases and immunology, an Osler chief resident, a faculty member in infectious diseases, and assistant dean for student affairs. In 1966, he was appointed chief of infectious diseases

for the department of medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine. While there, he advanced to professor of medicine and also served as associate dean.

In 1970, Johnson spent a year in England studying infectious disease immunology at the Clinical Research Centre in London. Upon returning to the U.S., he was appointed professor and chairman of the department of medicine at Wake Forest University’s Bowman Gray School of Medicine, where he remained until 1985. He served as dean of the University of Michigan Medical School from 1985-90 and as a professor of medicine there from 1985-93. Then, he became senior vice president for membership of the American College of Physicians, serving as interim vice president in 1994-95 and subsequently as senior vice president and special advisor to the executive vice president of the college. He was president-elect of the International Society of Internal Medicine, serving as president from 2000-02, and then on the Executive Committee until 2004. By 2004, he had also written over 100 articles, contributed numerous book chapters and edited three books.

Johnson’s distinguished medical career earned him many honors. He was appointed a Markle Scholar in Academic Medicine and elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine; Fellow of the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars; member of the Société Française Tuberculose et des Maladies Respiratoire, the Association of American Physicians, and the American Clinical and Climatological Association; and granted Mastership in the American College of Physicians. In 2003, the American College of Physicians established the Joseph E. Johnson Leadership Award in his honor to recognize young physicians who demonstrate qualities which foster excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine.

Johnson, who passed away in April of 2010, was predeceased by his wife, Judith. They have three children and two grandchildren. His daughters, Judy and Julie Johnson, accepted the Distinguished Alumnus Award on his behalf.

Nominees for the Distinguished Alumnus Award must have distinguished themselves in one or more of the following areas since graduating from Darlington or Thornwood – notable achievement within a professional field; service to his or her community, state or nation; service to the arts, sciences or humanitarian causes; or loyalty to Darlington. After nominations have been solicited, the award recipient is selected by an Executive Committee of the Alumni Council, composed of the president of the Alumni Council, the chairman of the Board of Trustees and the director of alumni relations.

If you would like to nominate a friend or classmate to receive the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award, please e-mail [email protected] by March 31, 2011, and include your name and class year, the nominee’s name and class year, and your reasons for nomination.

Distinguished Alumni recognized during Alumni Weekend

Alumni Council President Tim Morgan (’87), Board Chairman Frank Stegall (’62) and Headmaster Tom Whitworth, all in the back row, present Distinguished Alumni Awards to Martin Turbidy (’50) and Judy and Julie Johnson, accepting on behalf of Claude Booker (’50) and the late Joe Johnson (’47), respectively.

Winter 2011

finish with a tie for 10th at the LPGA Corning Classic and recorded a 66 in the second round of the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic, the lowest round of her LPGA career. In 2000, she again led the Tour in driving distance and tied for 10th at the Japan Airlines Big Apple Classic to tie her career-best finish from the previous year. Caroline returned to Darlington in 2002 and currently serves as head of Regester House.Mara Evans and her boyfriend, Jonas, hosted a screening of their film, “Wake Up,” at The Plaza Theater in Atlanta on Dec. 18, 2010. Mara writes: “We spent over three years and much blood, sweat and tears creating this documentary. ‘Wake Up’ originally premiered at the film festival South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. The New York premier at Tribeca was introduced by the musician Sting, who has supported the film and its creation. His wife, Trudie Styler, is the executive producer.”


Class Agent: Alison Dunwoody

Anna (Jordan) Hubbell and her husband, Chris, announce the birth of a daughter, Jordan Elizabeth, on April 19, 2010. She joins big brother Carter, 3. The family lives in Atlanta.Laura (Foss) Timberlake now serves as principal of Pepperell Elementary School in Rome. She has been an educator for 13 years, working as a teacher, a grant writer, an administrative intern and an assistant principal along the way.


Class Agent: Meredith (Koegler) Harrison

Sarah (Evans) Joseph and her husband, Matt, announce the birth of a son, Fletcher, on April 23, 2010. The family lives in Atlanta.


Class Agents: Maurie Dugger, Jimmy Smith

Isabel (Diaz) Barroso is an attorney with Valle, Craig & Vazquez, P.A. in Miami, Fla. She specializes in insurance defense and employment law. Isabel holds a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of Miami as well as a law degree from Florida International University College of Law. She is married to Angel Barroso, a realtor in Miami, and has a daughter, Elizabeth Marie. Will Beattie Jr. and his wife, Tiffany, announce the birth of a daughter, Jadyn Lane, on April 26, 2010. Will is public relations director for Ellijay Telephone Co. and currently serves as a commissioner for Gilmer County.Damon Norcross stopped by Darlington for a campus tour on a business trip to Georgia in fall 2010. He was able to visit with several of his former teachers, including Sam Moss (’63). Damon and his wife live in New Hampshire with their two children.

Sam Moss (’63) and Damon Norcross (’94)

Darlington Magazine

Class of 1990

Save the date

Homecoming Game

D

arlington Celebration

C

lass Parties

Campus Tours

Class Photos

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C l a s s N o t e s

Mark Rogers married Emily Cacioppo on Oct. 10, 2010, at The Pavilion at Lake Rabun in Lakemont, Ga.


Class Agent: Morgan Seigler

Matt McAlpin married Melodie Ann Whitson on Aug. 21, 2010, at the San Diego Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Leverett Neville and his wife, Celeste, announce the birth of a daughter, Sydney, on May 18, 2010. The family lives in Rome.


Class Agent: Corie (Dempsey) Swan

Carroll (Soffe) Baker and her husband, Erik, announce the birth of a son, Michael James, on May 7, 2010. The family lives in Winston Salem, N.C. Cristie (Robinson) Dasher and her husband, Howard, announce the birth of a daughter, Laura Chapman, on April 28, 2010. The family lives in Valdosta, Ga. Jeremy Martin and his wife, Julia, announce the birth of a daughter, Gwen Ellyson, on Aug. 25, 2010. The family lives in Portland, Maine. Jeremy is employed by Medline Industries as the district manager for northern New England.Matt Sawhill writes: “I live in Smyrna, Ga., and am director of federal and state government affairs for AGL Resources in Atlanta. I manage the company’s day-to-day state government relations in Georgia and Tennessee. I will be celebrating five years of marriage to Mary (Hight) Sawhill (’96) in April of this year. Our daughter, Caroline, will be 2 years old in May.”


Class Agents: Julie (Wilson) Lucas, Michael Van Cise

Taylor Black and his wife, Sheryl (Ely ’01), announce the birth of a daughter, Katelyn Mary, on June 15, 2010. The family lives in Alpharetta, Ga.Drew Fleming and his wife, Erin, announce the birth of a son, William Porter, on Dec. 9, 2010. He joins big sister Raeghan. The family lives in Marietta, Ga.Ashley (Rice) Gomez and her husband, Andre, announce the birth of a son, Alexander Raoul, on Dec. 25, 2010. He joins big brother Andre Ryan, who was born in February 2010. The family lives in Smyrna, Ga.Holly McHagge owns The Claremont House, a historic bed and breakfast in Rome. A photo of the establishment was featured in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch in May 2010. The episode was hosted by Betty White. Kyle Minshew appeared in the New York revivals of “Candide and The Country Wife” as well as the David Mamet film, “After Dark,” with Lee Pace and David Strathairn. Rennie Pepper writes: “I still live in New York City and work in the financial industry. I have been with Dreyfus Investments (a subsidiary of BNY Mellon) for almost four years as an internal mutual fund wholesaler. Recently, I was promoted to regional consultant for the Southeast territory. I am very excited about this opportunity as I will continue to be based in the best city in the world, but travel to the place I love the most – the South!”


Class Agents: Brent Keene, Regan Maki

Meg (Gammage) Kramer married Frederick Christian Kramer on June 12, 2010, at Barnsley Gardens in Adairsville, Ga.Joe Smith writes: “My first year of practice has come and gone and I am still proud to be married to the ever-more-eminent Dr. Roman. We haven’t been able to schedule parenthood just yet, but we’ve bought our ‘real’ home and are nesting in earnest now. I am with Central Florida Hospital Partners on a partnership track and am officially also faculty with The Florida Hospital Family Medicine Residency. Clara has launched a booming geriatrics service and is taking the scene by storm. Busy, busy, busy!”


Class Agent: David Swift

Erin Cescutti-Restrepo married Daniel Rodriguez-Restrepo on April 6, 2010, at Smathers Beach in Key West, Fla.

Winter 2011

Neely (Davis) Thornton (’97) volunteers at the Atlanta Alumni Phonathon.

Class of 1995

35


Tiger TailgatesC a m p u s V i e w

W a k e F o r e s t v s . F S U F l o r i d a v s . A l a b a m a

Cathy and Kim McConkey (’73); Bo (’14) and Lori Tucker; Butch, Payton (’10) and Wendy Payne; Dan and Beth Baker; Trey Payne (’08); and Dani Baker (’11)

Chelsea Digsby (’07), Caitlin Rivet (’07), Anne Montgomery (’05), Hannah Montgomery (’10), Mary Beth Montgomery (’08), Brennen Riddle (’08), Abby Vincent (’09)

John (’99) and Stacey McElrath

Bill (’59) and Lyndra Daniel

Kendall (Collins ’97) and Stewart Duggan with Cullen Smith and Bethany Powell

Baker Wright (’94) and Arthur Clements (’65)

Joe, Jonathan (’19), Angela and Gianna Pieroni (’17)

Kathy and Bob Smith (’78) with Joe and Rebekah (Barron) Montgomery (’78)

Owen and Elizabeth Wright

Patrick Wilson (’08)

and Johana Bucci (’06)

Darlington Magazine

Winter 2011

C l a s s N o t e s

37

Hundreds of alumni, parents and friends had another opportunity to catch up with their Darlington buddies while cheering on their favorite college football teams during four Tiger Tailgates this fall. In only our third year, Darlington’s Alumni Office confirms that these are among the best-attended and most popular alumni events, next to Alumni Weekend, of course! We want to give a special thanks

to our event hosts, who went above and beyond to make Darlington’s tents the best on the block. This year’s Tiger Tailgates were held in Tallahassee, Fla.; Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Oxford, Miss.; and Auburn, Ala. Look for our fall schedule to be finalized this spring and make plans to attend. You won’t want to miss the party!

A u b u r n v s . O l e M i s s U G A v s . A u b u r n

Knox Strickland (’10) and Evan McClure (’10)

Bess Kelley (’09), Addie Shifl ett (’12), David Stelly (’11)

Susan Jones, Cissy Strickland,

Tracy Watters

Bear Dines (’09), Devin Eman (’09), Patrick Collier (’08)

Al Dubose and Heather (Hagan) Walker (’90)

Lisa Powers, Pam Morgan, Karen Johnson

Taylor Mauer (’10),Caty Cambron (’10),Mackenzie Wilson (’09),Meg Bowden (’09)

Lee Couch (’11), Ben Davidson (’11), Kaitlyn Riley (’11), Maggie Sparks (’11),Margaret Hjort (’11), Jacquelyn Johnson (’11), Hunter Davis (’11)

Knox Strickland ( 10) and Evan McClure (’10)

(’12),

H

Alison (Hunter) Brooks (’79)

and Beth (Bagby) Smith (’87)

Mark MacKimm


“My father knew about Darlington and thought it would be a good place for me to go to high school,” Wilhoite said. “I remember him driving me down here. It was tough leaving home at 14. Even though Chattanooga is close, as far as I knew Darlington was on the other side of the moon. But when we pulled through the front gates, it was the most gorgeous place I had ever seen. I just fell in love with it.”

For the next three years, he would live on the third floor of South Hall in what is now Summerbell House. He spent his senior year in Trippeer Hall.

“I still keep in touch with both my roommates, John Wilcox (’73) and Jess Coburn (’73), as well as my good friend John Moore (’73),” Wilhoite said. “We had a lot of fun in high school and we still do.”

Wilhoite was eager to get involved at Darlington and spent three years playing basketball, four years running track and cross country, one year cheerleading, and four years singing in the chorus.

“I really enjoyed sports around here,” he said. “My big thing was the track team. I had a friend at home who pole vaulted and I remember asking Coach Burch how to do it. He said, ‘Ahhh, the pole vault. Take the pole in hand, approach the bar and leap great heights.’ I’ll never forget that. It took me four years to break Darlington’s pole vaulting record, but I finally did it with a 12-foot jump. Half of that pole is still sitting over at the Huffman Center in the trophy case. I also vaulted in the first and second Georgia Olympics and got fifth in state my junior and senior years.”

A member of the last all-male class, Wilhoite was selected to spend one

day at Thornwood School and write his opinion about going co-ed. His article appeared in the 1973 spring edition of Darlington’s alumni magazine. He also wrote the farewell article for his senior class.

“Julia (Trawick) Knight (’73T) and I traded places and obviously I was all for having girls over here,” Wilhoite laughed. “Looking back though, it was a very progressive decision for Darlington, which turned out to be a big plus. I am so thankful that the Board of Trustees decided to go that route because it has benefitted the school immensely. My daughter is here because of that decision, and that has been huge.”

After Darlington, Wilhoite went on to earn his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and his D.D.S. from the University of Tennessee at Memphis, graduating with honors from both institutions. He practiced dentistry in Chattanooga for three years before moving to Atlanta in 1984 and opening East Cobb Dental Services.

“A lot of my old friends from Darlington were there and they

encouraged me to come,” he said. “They were the reason I was able to set up my practice – I already had clients. I’ve been there for 25 years now.”

Five years after opening his practice in Atlanta, he married the former Ann Fowlkes and together they had two children, John (’12) and Elizabeth (’14). When John was ready to start pre-K, Wilhoite and his wife moved to Cartersville, Ga., so that their children could attend Darlington.

“When I realized that the school is only a 30-minute drive from Cartersville, it was a no-brainer,” Wilhoite said. “I wanted to let my children and Darlington have their own experiences together. In the process, they’ve even gotten involved in some of the same things I did. Elizabeth is a cheerleader and both of my kids sing in the choir. For this place to be giving them the same great education that I received is a blessing. I’m really proud of both of them and how well they’ve done.”

More than four decades after his own experience as a boarding student at Darlington, and in addition to being a

Dr. Steve Wilhoite (’73)Growing up, giving back

Steve Wilhoite’s ( ’73) relationship with Darlington School began in the summer of ’69 when, at the age of 14, he packed his bags and left his hometown of Chattanooga, Tenn., in search of a better education.


Steve Wilhoite (‘73)

Darlington Magazine

Marie (Hodge) Gordon and her husband, Michael (’99), announce the birth of a daughter, Elizabeth Virginia “Libby,” on Jan. 8, 2010. The family lives in Marietta, Ga. Marie writes: “Libby is crawling everywhere and is the light of our lives! She also seems to have gotten her height from her daddy.”Rebekah (Kerr) McGinnis married Spencer Charles McGinnis on Oct. 9, 2010, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rome. The couple lives in Boston, Mass.


Class Agent: Skye Wellesley

Stephen Collier married Christina Mary Sgier on Jan. 15, 2011, at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Greenville, S.C.


Class Agents: Kelli (Hutchinson) Karanovich, Whitney (Keene) Whittington

Sheryl (Ely) Black and her husband, Taylor (’97), announce the birth of a daughter, Katelyn Mary, on June 15, 2010. The family lives in Alpharetta, Ga.Jackson Conner writes: “Wow, I can’t believe it has been almost 10 years! Hope to see many of you in the fall for our reunion. Hope everyone is doing great. I am currently employed by AT&T as a sales support representative and I have been living in Joplin, Mo., for the past five years.”

Cat (Lawler) Jackson married Patrick David Jackson on May 21, 2010, at her parents’ home in Rome. Kelli (Hutchinson) Karanovich and her husband, Ryan, announce the birth of a son, Christopher Valor, on Aug. 22, 2010. The family lives in Kingston, Ga. Amelia (Ross) Ricks married Adam Joseph Ricks on April 17, 2010, at her parents’ home in Guntersville, Ala. The couple lives in Birmingham, Ala.Hadley Sanford married Britteny Anne Brock on March 6, 2010, at Darlington’s Morris Chapel. The couple lives in Cartersville, Ga. Hadley holds a B.A. from University of Tennessee and works for his brother’s company, Sanford Land Development, which is based out of Rockmart, Ga.

Britteny and Hadley Sanford (’01)

Stephen Smith joined Jowers-Sklar Insurance Agency as a commercial lines producer. Prior to his employment with Jowers-Sklar, he worked in the Rome office of U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey and also served as the congressman’s field representative in Floyd, Gordon and Chattooga counties.

Winter 2011 39

Dr. Steve Wilhoite (’73)Growing up, giving back

39

Mark Whittaker pictured with his wife, Pam, during the Jacksonville Gathering.

current parent, Wilhoite now volunteers his time as a class agent, chairman of the Annual Fund Leadership Team and member of the Board of Trustees.

“It was a real honor to be asked to serve on the Board,” Wilhoite said. “I’ve seen the school as a boarding student; an alumnus; a parent of two day students; and somebody who has been involved in athletics, academics and the arts, and I feel like that gives me a unique perspective that I can bring to the table.”

But his service to the school began long before he became a trustee in May 2010. He has volunteered with the Annual Fund for the past 20 years and led his class as class agent for the past 15.

“I really enjoy these opportunities because not only do I get to keep up with my classmates and fellow alumni, but I’m able to share with them what is going on at Darlington today,” Wilhoite said. “To raise money for this year’s Annual Fund, we added more phonathons and mobilized a great group of volunteers. The vast majority of people we call are excited to hear from us because they want to hear about Darlington. They want to find out what’s going on – whether the football team won last weekend, what the basketball team is doing, whether Mr. So-and-So is still here – and more often than not, they’re happy to support Darlington in any way they can.

“To all those who have already contributed to this year’s Annual Fund, I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he continued. “This is a world-class school and it deserves world-class support. Darlington did me a huge service in educating me and giving me self-confidence and I want to see this place continue to be successful – not just for my own children, but for generations of students to come.”

Winter 2011


Class Agent: Miles Wellesley

Andrew Babcock was inducted into the Georgia Tech Lacrosse Hall of Fame at Homecoming this fall. He was selected to receive this honor from over 450 players and was among the first class of 15 players and coaches to be inducted.Emily (Griffin) Johnson married Bryan Thomas Johnson on Oct. 23, 2010, at Darlington School’s Morris Chapel. The couple lives in Rome.

Robert Sturdivant III married Gloria Genise Grimes on May 30, 2010, at Sandals Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Georgia (Harris) Wooller married Edmund William Arthur Wooller on Oct. 9, 2010.


Class Agents: Lindsay Doss, William Krueger

Ashley (Ware) Anglin married Justin Matthew Anglin on Sept. 11, 2010, at Belle Arbor, the home of her father, in Rome. The couple lives in Rome.

Ben Ayer Jr. married Annie Marie Irons on Oct. 30, 2010, at First Baptist Church in Florence, Ala.


Class Agent: Madison McRae

Megan (Betts) Banks married Williams Bryant Banks on Nov. 20, 2010, at Darlington School’s Morris Chapel. The couple lives in Atlanta.Bert Collier married Anna Claire Williamson on June 5, 2010, at The Church of the Apostles in Daphne, La.



Brittni Dulaney was one of only 11 Presbyterian College students to receive the Educational Testing Service Recognition of Excellence award for her scores on the national licensure tests. Her scores were the highest in Presbyterian College’s history. Brittni graduated in spring 2010 and currently serves as the first-ever women’s lacrosse coach at Shorter College in Rome. After several outstanding lacrosse seasons at Presbyterian, she was ranked No. 27 in the nation for assists and No. 31 in the nation for assists per game.

Class of 2000

Darlington Magazine

Alumni and friends gather for a Fish Fry at Deep Creek Fish Camp in Jacksonville, Fla.

40

C l a s s N o t e s

Winter 2011

41

41

There is still time to join us this summer! For more information and online registration visit www.darlingtonschool.org/summer

2 0 1 1 S U M M E R C A M P S

Through a broad range of activities and exceptional instruction, we encourage children to apply their talents, identify new interests, develop caring friendships, and build confidence in their ability to succeed.

Academics Aviation

Sciences of Flight Camp: Boys and Girls ages 8-12 Flight Simulator Camp: Boys and Girls ages 13-17

ESL (English as a Second Language) Boys and Girls grades 9-12

HealthDarlington Students grade 9

Robotics and EngineeringBoys and Girls grades 5-8

SAT PrepBoys and Girls grades 8-12

Summer Writing CampBoys and Girls grades 1-5

Athletics 7-on-7 Passing Camp

Boys grades 9-12

Athletic Training Mini-CampBoys and Girls grades 9-12

BaseballBoys ages 6-12

Basketball Boys and Girls ages 6-14

Cheerleading CampGirls ages 5-12

Cross CountryMiddle School Day Camp: Boys and Girls grades 6-9 High School Overnight Camp: Boys and Girls grades 8-12

Football CampBoys ages 6-14

LacrosseBoys ages 8-18

Tennis CampBoys and Girls ages 10-18

TriathlonTri Tigers Beginners Camp: Boys and Girls ages 8-10 Tri Tigers Advanced Camp: Boys and Girls ages 10-14

SoccerBoys and Girls ages 8-17

WrestlingPee Wee Camp: Boys grades 2-5 Junior Camp: Boys grades 6-9

Arts Art Explosion

Boys and Girls grades 1-6

Artistic ExpressionsBoys and Girls ages 7-12

Latin Dance Camp:Boys and Girls ages 7-12

Summer Strings Youth Orchestra Preparatory Camp Boys and Girls grades 8-12

Special Interests Cooking

Boys and Girls ages 8 and up

Intercultural CampBoys and Girls all ages 15-18

Traditional Camp Darlington

Boys and Girls ages 7-10

Camp DelightascopeBoys and Girls ages 2-6

Tristan Griffin’s narrative short, “The Brotherhood of Man,” was screened as part of the Rome International Film Festival in September.Jacob Malone married Carol Poe on May 16, 2010, in Athens, Ga.

Jacob (’06) and Carol Malone


Class Agent: Brett Henson

Natalie Brumbaugh stopped by the Darlington School campus on a recent visit to Rome with Julia Douglas (’07). Natalie will graduate from Texas A&M this spring with a degree in communications and marketing. Julia is a senior at the University of Georgia, where she studies political science, religion and speech communications.

Natalie Brumbaugh (’07) and Julia Douglas (’07)

Brock Eskrigge and fellow Moser House alumni Devin Eman (’09) and Beau Cherry (’07) had an opportunity to visit with Head of House Tim McCann during his trip to Oxford, Miss. Anna Krueger, a senior chemistry major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been named a teaching assistant for general chemistry labs, a position normally held by graduate students. Elexene Mattingly is the newest member of the band 64 West. Martin Schmitz-Drager attends St. Gallen University in Switzerland, where he is studying economics. This fall, his parents enjoyed a visit from Darlington Admission Officer Kila McCann during her trip to Zurich.Patrick Smith, a whitewater guide, took Tim Wallis (’69), King Askew and Ernie Smith out on the Ocoee River this past summer.

Patrick Smith (’07), Tim Wallis (’69), King Askew, Ernie Smith

Matt Thomas and his band, “Half Full Outlook,” were featured in the Rome News-Tribune after releasing a five-track, self-titled EP – a demo album. They hope to sign with a label soon. Matt said: “We call our music punk hop. It’s pretty much punk rock

music with rap vocals. We took our influences and sort of meshed them together. One of the songs on the CD is called ‘My Town’ and it’s about Rome and my friends and missing this place. I definitely incorporate growing up here into my music.”Alicia Wright received a student scholarship to the 2010 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference in Ripton, Vt. This conference, founded in 1926, was called “the oldest and most prestigious writers’ conference in the country” by The New Yorker.


Class Agent: Kelly O’Mara

Hannah Dodd is double majoring in linguistics and East Asian languages and cultures at the University of Georgia, the latter a self-designed major through the Honors College. After being inducted to the Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society and Golden Key International Honor Society, Hannah was chosen to be one of six out of 40 applicants to be an exchange student to Japan. She will attend Waseda University in Tokyo through August 2011. In preparation, Hannah spent the summer of 2010 as one of six interns at the Japan-America Society of Georgia, an organization in Atlanta that is renowned for its commitment to bridging the gaps between Japanese and American business and cultures.Mac Gilliland Jr. won the Collegiate National Championship in Golf Croquet for Davidson College. Leo Kipfelsberger visited with Darlington Admission Officer Kila McCann this fall during her trip to Cologne, Germany. He currently attends university and works for an investment company in Germany

Leo Kipfelsberger (’08)

Darlington Magazine

Class of 2005

42

Kelly O’Mara was featured in a Washington Post article titled “College advice from a Sewanee junior.” She is a studio art and English major at Sewanee: Th e University of the South. Moritz Walther visited with Darlington Admission Offi cer Kila McCann during her trip to Switzerland this fall. Moritz is currently studying business at a university there.

Kila McCann and Moritz Walther (’08)


Class Agents: Rachel Buckle, Shanarra Goode, Cleve Jackson

Anjali Banerjee’s work was exhibited at Imagine Hair Art Studio and Gallery Lounge in Rome during the month of September 2010. Th e exhibit featured close to 50 pieces, including photographs and paper crane mobiles. Anjali is currently studying biology and psychology at Berry College, where she is also president of the Photography Club.

Bear Dines visited with Darlington Admission Offi cer Kila McCann and her husband Tim, head of Neville House, during their trip to Athens, Ga.

Lauren Hollington (’06), Nolan Wynn (’07), Marshall McCann (’15), Devin Eman (’09), Daniel Smith (’07), Tim McCann, Bear Dines (’09), Justin Rufen-Blanchette (’08)


Class Agent: Vacant

Diego Figueroa visited with several current Darlington School Soccer Academy members during a college visit to Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., where he attends school and plays soccer.

Keersan Simmons (’11), Cole Peters (’11), Chad Liddle, Diego Figueroa (’10), Jeff Haigler, Alex Martignon (’12), Michael Bellot (’11)

Calling all alumni…

Alumni Council Nominations

Send us your nomination for the 2011-2014 term. Th e Darlington School Alumni Council is the governing body of the Alumni Association. Council members serve for a three-year term and are nominated by current Alumni Council members and the Association membership at large. Please e-mail your nomination to [email protected] by March 31, 2011.

Distinguished Alumnus Nominations

Send us your nominations for the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Established by the Alumni Council in 1983, this award recognizes alumni who have achieved prominence in their profession and/or community and who have demonstrated loyalty to Darlington.

Please e-mail your nomination to [email protected] by March 31, 2011, and include the following information:

Name and class year of nominee

Reason(s) for nomination

Your name and class year

Winter 2011 43

C l a s s N o t e s

The longtime Darlington teacher died June 8, 2010, at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer.

“I know Lola will continue to have a lasting impact on the alumni she taught during her early years at the Middle School in the 1970s, as well as on her most recent students and colleagues at the Lower School,” said Headmaster Tom Whitworth. “In her 29 years here, she became one of Darlington’s legendary teachers, one who will always be remembered for her bright smile and her compassion. She is missed by many.”

The daughter of the late Wilbur Fred and Sara Carter Caldwell, Lola Bradshaw was born in Macon, Ga. She was a graduate of Jackson High School and the University of Georgia, where she earned a B.S. and was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority. She earned her teacher certification at Georgia State College and also attended Berry College. She taught math and science in Cobb County for several years before marrying the late Martin Horace Bradshaw Jr. in 1965 and moving to Rome.

When Bradshaw began working at Darlington in 1978, she was hired as a part-time teacher at the Middle School. After seven years of teaching science, American history and English to students in grades 7-8, she moved to the Lower School in 1985. For the next 22 years, she made it her mission to provide love and direction to her young students so that they, too, could become

life-long learners. She retired in the spring of 2007 due to her health.

“Lola had a tremendous impact on so many students and, in many instances, even taught the children of her former students,” said Steve Bartholomew, director of Lower School. “She leaves us with a legacy of kindness, compassion and a wonderful sense of humor. Her faithful dedication to her students and the teaching profession for the past 29 years at Darlington will never be forgotten. Lola will be missed not only as a teacher, friend and colleague, but as a special human being.”

During her tenure at Darlington, Bradshaw was recognized numerous times for her work with students. She received the first Edward N. Beachum Master Teacher Award, the James Brown Teacher Award, the District Science Teacher of the Year Award, the Georgia Teach Math and Science Recognition Award and the Georgia

Independent Schools Association Award for 25 years of service. She was also named Best Mannered Teacher in 2007 by the National League of Junior Cotillions, Three Rivers Chapter.

The Lola C. Bradshaw Spirit of Life Award will be awarded annually to the Lower School student who best exemplifies through attitude and actions both inside and outside the classroom, the highest spirit for life, love for learning, and unselfishness toward others. A stipend will also be presented to the student’s homeroom teacher to be used for classroom enhancement. The inaugural award will be presented to a fourth-grade student during the Lower School Awards Assembly on May 26.

Memorial contributions to this award fund may be sent to the Lola C. Bradshaw Spirit of Life Award, Darlington School, 1014 Cave Spring Rd., Rome, GA 30161.

A celebrated educator and friend to many, Lola Bradshaw’s legacy will live on thanks to the Lola C. Bradshaw Spirit of Life Award, established by her son, Martin H. “Tripp” Bradshaw III (’85), and endowed through gifts made to Darlington in memory and in honor of Lola’s years of unselfish service by her family, friends and former students.

Lola BradshawAward established in memory of former teacher

I n M e m o r i a m

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Lola Bradshaw

Darlington Magazine

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Joe Grier died Dec. 23, 2010

Ferebee Beasley died Nov. 27, 2009

Ed Campbell died March 14, 2010

Diego Valdes died Feb. 6, 2010

Bryan Whitfield III died Aug. 29, 2010

McCary Ballard died July 7, 2010

Bill Buck died April 19, 2010

Don Anderson died Dec. 29, 2010

Forest Fowler died April 29, 2010

Jim Thacker died Sept. 21, 2010

Howard Newton Jr. died Feb. 18, 2010

Ralph Maynard Jr. died Dec. 13, 2009

Art Dismukes Jr. died May 27, 2010

Billy McKinnon died June 15, 2010

Preston Upshaw died Jan. 19, 2011

Willie Starnes died Nov. 4, 2010

Rowdy Stanton died Aug. 2, 2010

Skip Young died Dec. 31, 2010

Jack Cumming died Jan. 20, 2011

John Fleming Jr. died Oct. 18, 2009

John Maddox Jr. died Sept. 14, 2010

Michael Chappell died Oct. 30, 2010

Jim Lock died July 9, 2010

Dent Sullivan died Feb. 1, 2010

Gary Vickers died Nov. 30, 2010

A. Welling LaGrone died Feb. 3, 2011

Patrick Montgomery died Nov. 16, 2009

Jim Mitchell died April 16, 2010

Robert Lilly died July 16, 2010

James J. Helie died in August 2010

Cary Griffin died June 30, 2008

Allyn Staton died Dec. 21, 2010

Ken Dickson died July 4, 2010

Lila Lee (Harvey) Land died October 7, 2010

Sandy Tharpe died Sept. 25, 2010

Bucky Daves Jr. died Jan. 1, 2010

Harriett Bell-Cully died July 7, 2009

Brenda A. Neal died April 13, 2010

Trenee (Zachary) Lipton died June 5, 2010

Meg Schoenmaker died Dec. 27, 2010

Eric B. Gautier died Aug. 16, 2010

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1941 Marshall B. Wood Jr.

died Oct. 17, 2010

1945 Cody Smith

died March 5, 2009

1950 DeJean Melancon

died Feb. 1, 2011

Former Faculty Charley Jean Eudy Moyers

died Aug. 31, 2010

Winter 2011

1014 Cave Spring Road • Rome, Georgia 30161-4700

Non ProfitOrganization U.S.

PostagePAID

Rome GA 30161Permit No. 501

darlington magazine winter 2011

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