Groton Welcomes Back Alumni for Reunion 2017
More than five hundred members of Groton's extended family returned to the Circle for Reunion Weekend, renewing old friendships, meeting with favorite teachers, and participating in a wide range of activities, from birdwatching and alumni rowing to panel discussions and form dinners.
One highlight was the ceremony honoring this year's Distinguished Grotonian, the Reverend Edward "Ned" Gammons Jr. '52, and the Cui Servire Award winner, Dr. Nicholas Stevenson Potter '82. The Reverend Gammons reminisced in his acceptance speech about growing up on campus and the faculty members who shaped his life. Dr. Potter acknowledged his important work on brain disorders then chronicled the numerous accomplishments of his 1982 formmates.
Following the awards, Anson Jones '17 sang "Imagine," which set the mood for Headmaster Temba Maqubela's remarks. He described how each Groton headmaster—right back to the founding Rector, Endicott Peabody—helped build the foundation beneath today's efforts to create an inclusive school. "The Rector invited a freed slave, Booker T. Washington, to come and speak to the students in 1899 and again in 1905," said Mr. Maqubela. President Teddy Roosevelt, a friend of Mr. Peabody's, later invited Mr. Washington to dine at the White House.
"At the dawn of the last century," Mr. Maqubela said, "the Rector planted roots of inclusion.”
"At the dawn of the last century," Mr. Maqubela said, "the Rector planted roots of inclusion.”
The headmaster also outlined the contributions of his predecessors, who stood firm against criticism when the first African American was admitted in 1952 and when the school became coed in 1975, and who, in more recent years, waived tuition for families of limited income.
In an update on the GRoton Affordability and INclusion (GRAIN) initiative, Mr. Maqubela emphasized the importance of admitting the “talented missing middle,” referring to children of artisans, doctors, professors, civil servants, and teachers, among others, who often do not realize they may receive financial assistance at Groton. “Just as in politics there is a whole lot of America between the two coasts, there is a whole lot of talent in the middle,” he said. “And if we do not address this issue head on we risk losing the shine and relevance that makes ours an exceptional school when it comes to drawing talent.”
Later in the afternoon, a crowd gathered in the Athletic Center to welcome the newest inductees into Groton’s Athletic Hall of Fame: the late Olympic rower Seymour “Sy” Cromwell '52, professional hockey player and referee Paul Gerard Stewart '72, All-American runner Caroline Bierbaum LeFrak '02, the championship 1957 varsity hockey team, and the championship 2002 varsity boys tennis team.
In an update on the GRoton Affordability and INclusion (GRAIN) initiative, Mr. Maqubela emphasized the importance of admitting the “talented missing middle,” referring to children of artisans, doctors, professors, civil servants, and teachers, among others, who often do not realize they may receive financial assistance at Groton. “Just as in politics there is a whole lot of America between the two coasts, there is a whole lot of talent in the middle,” he said. “And if we do not address this issue head on we risk losing the shine and relevance that makes ours an exceptional school when it comes to drawing talent.”
Later in the afternoon, a crowd gathered in the Athletic Center to welcome the newest inductees into Groton’s Athletic Hall of Fame: the late Olympic rower Seymour “Sy” Cromwell '52, professional hockey player and referee Paul Gerard Stewart '72, All-American runner Caroline Bierbaum LeFrak '02, the championship 1957 varsity hockey team, and the championship 2002 varsity boys tennis team.
Also drawing reunion crowds were two panel discussions. A Groton Women’s Network panel, led by Christy Tanner ’87, a senior vice president at CBS News Digital, included Jane Allison ’02 of software provider Salesforce; Stephanie Borynack Clark ’92, a former Wall Streeter now running Findlay Galleries; Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend ’97, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network and a 2016 White House “Champion of Change”; Phyllis Higgerson ’87, owner of Henhurst Interiors; Karen McLoughlin ’82, CFO of Cognizant; Taylor Simmons ’07, an MBA candidate and former buyer at Bloomingdale’s; and Christian Viering ’87, a director at Novartis, a multinational pharmaceutical company. The panelists shared anecdotes and insights about challenges and opportunities facing women in the workplace.
The other discussion, “What You Don’t Know About the Entertainment Industry,” featured panelists James Bundy '77, dean of Yale's School of Drama; Mary Bundy ’12, a writers’ production assistant on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; Bill Camp ’82, a veteran actor recently starring in HBO’s The Night Of; Kristen Carter ’02, a content creator for shows including BET’s Black Girls Rock and NBC’s The Voice; Charlotte Morgan ’92, a producer for PBS’ Charlie Rose; Jason Zenowich ’92, a Hollywood talent agent; and moderator Ben Pyne ’77, a longtime Disney executive.
The 2017 Reunion welcomed back graduates from years ending in 2 and 7—from the eight members who attended from the Form of 1947 to the seventy-one members from the Form of 2012. In all, about 380 graduates returned to campus for Reunion Weekend, many joined by spouses and children. They came back to the Circle from seven countries (Canada, Germany, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.) and twenty-nine states.
Groton School Mission: To inspire lives of character, scholarship, leadership, and service within a diverse, inclusive, and close-knit community.
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