Summer 2009
for alumni and friends of Baylor School
Farewell to the
Class of 2009
Barbara Kennedy
“Times have changed, and Baylor has
grown in ways John Roy Baylor could
not have imagined. Yet Baylor is still
the same at heart through all these years,
a place of the highest dreams and virtues.
Thanks, Dad, for giving me this gift.”
From the Headmaster
A Father’s Gift
Forty-one years ago, my father set out on a mission. He began
the job of persuading me, his eldest son, that I should attend
Baylor School. I knew of Baylor and had even attended day
camp a couple of times, but I had not seriously considered
going to school there and preferred to attend elementary and
junior high school on Signal Mountain with my best friend.
Dad went to work to help me “see the light.” We traveled
together almost every weekend during fall of 1968; I was
indulged with professional football games, camping trips, and
other excursions. The pattern was the same for each trip: we
would enjoy ourselves, and then on the way home, Dad would
begin the lecture...“Son, you need to go to Baylor. The Baylor
grads I have met in town rise above their peers. They are bright
and articulate, poised and confident. They are good men.”
As a typical sixth-grader, I could not see my father’s logic.
But Dad was not the kind of man one disagreed with too
vehemently. He was old-school-tough, and I had a healthy fear
of him, so, I agreed to apply to Baylor — and to McCallie as
well. By the time admissions decisions were made, I had fallen
in love with Baylor. I was coy about my enthusiasm with Dad
so as not to lose his attention as he worked to persuade me.
I was fortunate to be admitted to both schools, but there was
no choice for me; I wanted to be a Red Raider.
Through the years, my father and I reflected often about
that juncture in my life and our decision. I would discover as
a young adult just how much my parents had sacrificed to
ensure that I could graduate from Baylor. Early in my Baylor
career, Dad’s business foundered, and our lifestyle changed
dramatically. Ultimately, he borrowed the money to pay my
tuition and would not pay that loan off until I was long out
of college. My dad died in September of 2007. As I was cleaning
out his files, I discovered among his many papers a list of his
top ten accomplishments in life. The list included powerful
personal reflections about his faith, his marriage to my mom,
and his love of flying. On the list was “Sending Scott and
David (’84) to Baylor.”
I share this story only to make a point. Some iteration of
my story is shared by thousands of Baylor alumni, parents,
and current students of every generation and every era of the
school. Since my appointment in December, I have been
overwhelmed by the testimonies of alumni for whom Baylor
represents a foundational presence in their lives. They, like my
dad, are committed to providing their children with such an
experience. Equally gratifying is that our current students “get
it.” During my frequent visits to campus this spring, I purposely
engaged students to find out about their Baylor experiences.
Their responses were, almost to a person, “I love it.”
This spring I began re-reading Jim Hitt’s history of Baylor,
It Never Rains After Three-O’Clock. In reading Mr. Hitt’s
book, I have been reminded that the school we know and love
today holds at its core the “wisdom of the ancients,” which
connects minds, bodies, hearts, and souls. Times have changed,
and Baylor has grown in ways John Roy Baylor could not
have imagined. Yet Baylor is still the same at heart through
all these years, a place of the highest dreams and virtues.
Thanks, Dad, for giving me this gift.
by Scott Wilson ’75, President and Headmaster
Editor’s Note: Scott Wilson passes along the gift of a Baylor
education to his daughter, Georgia, who joins the Class of
2014 this Fall.
for alumni and friends of Baylor School
Headmaster’s Message
New Baylor headmaster, Scott Wilson ’75, talks about returning to Baylor
and the sacrifices families make to attend the school.
by Scott Wilson ’75
2 Around Campus
News and perspectives from Baylor School and beyond.
4 Community Building
Two new Baylor spaces were dedicated this spring — the innovative Harrison
Hall and the gathering spot named for Summerfield Johnston III ’72.
by Barbara Kennedy
5 Gender Equity
A Gender Equity Study of independent schools gives Baylor high marks for
providing equitable experiences for boys and girls in a number of critical areas.
by Barbara Kennedy
6 Across Borders
Alums Chrissy Nolan ’01, Skip Schwartz ’91, and Hal Ernest ’49 talk about
the ways in which their careers and volunteer commitments connect them
with the world — and how Baylor informed their choices.
by Rachel Schulson
9 Living the Curriculum
Milly Rawlings talks about the Faculty Global Study Grant that took her
to Italy and how her trip ties into the new Upper School history curriculum.
by Rachel Schulson
11 A Lifelong Learner
Dr. Bill Stacy talks about his career in education and his years at Baylor as
he begins his retirement.
by Barbara Kennedy
12 A New Chapter
Retirees George Taylor ’54, Velda Price, Judy Klemm, Bill Abel, and Barry
Hall talk about their long Baylor careers and what the school means to them.
by Barbara Kennedy
14 Senior Profiles
Eight seniors, standouts in an impressive class, reflect on what they’ve
learned as they prepare for the next step.
by Rachel Schulson
19 Raider Report
A roundup of class notes, kudos, athletics, and more.
40 Final Thoughts
An excerpt from a senior speech about redheads, apathy, identity, and relativity.
by Melody Oliphant
Baylor School admits students of any race, sex, color, religion, national or ethnic
origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made
available to students at the school. Baylor does not discriminate on the basis of sex,
race, color, religion or national origin in the administration of its educational policies,
admission policies, financial aid programs, athletic programs, and other school
administered programs.
Pictured on the cover are Elin Bunch ’09 and her father, Van
Bunch ’75. (Cover photo by Alex McMahan)
Editors
Barbara Kennedy
Rachel Schulson
Designer
Angela Rich
Writers & Contributors
Barbara Kennedy
Eddie Davis
Melody Oliphant
Rachel Schulson
Dr. Bill W. Stacy
Scott Wilson ’75
Photography
Eddie Davis
D. Patrick Harding
Barbara Kennedy
Alex McMahan
Jack Parker
Milly Rawlings
Patty Watson
Acknowledgements
Susan Collins
Eddie Davis
Susan Miller
Velda Price
Jim Stover
President and Headmaster
Scott Wilson ’75
Head of School
Michael McBrien
Associate Vice President for External Affairs
Barbara Kennedy
Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni
Matt Lewis ’74
Associate Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Services
Bill Murdock ’81
Vice President of Finance and Operations
Dallas Joseph
Associate Head for Academic Affairs
Jim Stover
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Zan Guerry ’67
President, Alumni Association
Joseph R. Wheeler ’81
Chairman, Parent Alliance
Mary Kilbride
The mission of Baylor School, a coeducational day and
boarding college preparatory school, is to foster in its
students both the ability and the desire to make a positive
difference in the world.
Baylor School
171 Baylor School Road; Chattanooga, TN 37405
Phone: (423) 267-8505 | Fax: (423) 757-2878
www.baylorschool.org | pr@baylorschool.org
Around Campus
News & Perspectives from Baylor School
Student ECOS Efforts Bolstered by $10,000 Green Heroes Grant
The new student-run ECOS (Environmentally Concerned
Organization for Students) initiative recently won a $10,000
Green Heroes national grant, sponsored by Greenworks, with
support from the Sierra Club and other national eco-friendly
organizations.
The grant will greatly enhance the efforts of a program
created by Baylor students to promote sustainability among
all area public and private high schools. Their goals include:
• Help Chattanooga high schools in furthering their efforts
toward sustainability
• Educate students about making sustainable choices every day
• Empower students to make the changes that will affect them
the most
• Create a community-wide “no idling” campaign
Siemens Foundation Recognizes Baylor’s AP Program
The Siemens Foundation and the College Board selected Baylor
as one of 50 national recipients of the 2009 Siemens Award
for Advanced Placement, recognizing the school’s AP participation and performance in science, math, and technology as
the best in the state. Baylor currently offers 22 college-level
AP courses, including eight courses in science, math, and
technology. On average, more than 80 percent of AP exams
taken by Baylor students earn scores of three or higher (out
of a possible five), often making students eligible to receive
college credit or to waive required college courses in the subject
covered by the AP exam. The Siemens Foundation also honors
high school students and outstanding AP teachers with annual
awards. Baylor math instructor Dr. Dan Kennedy was the first
teacher in the U.S. to receive the national award for exemplary
teaching in 1998; and Haelie Chung ’08, who currently attends
Cornell University, received the 2008 state-level student award
for her superior work in AP courses.
Baylor 2009
the year in review
Ten students qualify as
semifinalists in the 54th
Annual National Merit
Scholarship Program,
more than any other
area school.
The $3.1 million Harrison Hall
dorm is dedicated and becomes the
area’s first academic institution to
seek LEED building certification
Board of Trustees appoints
Scott Wilson ’75 as the
school’s ninth president.
Baylor receives the
2009 Siemens Award
for Advanced
Placement, which
recognizes AP
The Dr. David Abshire Leadership
participation and
Fellows Program is launched;
performance in science,
math and technology as 12 juniors are selected to travel to
Washington, D.C. for an experiential
best in state.
course on national leadership,
ethics, honor, and service.
Class of 2009 Merit Scholarship Offers Exceed $10.8 Million
190 members of the class will scatter among 90 colleges in
26 states and three foreign countries. A total of 68% will
attend Southern institutions, 16% will attend Northeastern/MidAtlantic schools, 8% will venture to the Midwest, 6% will
attend Southwestern and Western schools combined, and
four students will attend college in England (2), Scotland,
and Switzerland. One student will return to her native country
of Germany to complete her education, and two are undecided.
Some of the academic scholarships valued at over $75,000
that have been offered to the Class of 2009 include Boston
Pictured left to right are recents grads Neal Davis, Avery
Smith, Elin Bunch, Autumn Nelor, and Kate Sharber.
The Class of 2009 was offered more than $10.85 million in
merit-based aid, with 150 students (78% of the class)
receiving 374 different merit scholarship offers. Thirty-six
students received scholarship offers of at least $100,000
each, totaling more than $6.4 million.
94 of 134 member of the Class of 2009 applied to and were
admitted to a college in the state of Tennessee while attaining
specific test scores or a 3.00 GPA, which qualified them to
receive $1,525,000 in Tennessee HOPE Scholarship funds.
11 of 18 Class of 2009 students applied to and were admitted
to a college in the state of Georgia and earned a 3.00
GPA, qualifying them to receive $220,000 in Georgia
HOPE Scholarship funds.
27 students will play college sports, with 13 receiving
scholarship offers valued at a total of $630,982.
59% of the class will matriculate at institutions in the Most
Competitive, Highly Competitive, and Very Competitive
categories (according to Barron’s Profiles of American
Colleges). Specifically, 19% will attend institutions ranked
in the Most Competitive category, 18% will attend institutions
in the Highly Competitive category, and 22% will attend
institutions in the Very Competitive category.
Baylor swimmers and
divers sweep state titles
before winning both
the boys and girls
Eastern Interscholastic
Swimming and Diving
Championships in
Philadelphia.
University Scholar, Hendrix College Academic Scholarship,
Kenyon College Newman’s Own Scholarship, Loyola University New Orleans Dean’s Scholar Award, New Jersey
Institute of Technology, New York University Martin Luther
King Jr., Scholars Program, North Carolina State University
Park Scholarship, Northwestern University Scholarship,
Rhodes College University Fellowship, Sarah Lawrence
College Gift Aid, Tulane University Presidential Scholarship,
United States Air Force Academy, University of Arizona
National Merit Finalist Award, Vanderbilt University Ingram
Scholarship Program, Vanderbilt University Top-Tenn Scholarship, and the Virginia Military Institute ROTC Scholarship.
The total value of these scholarships is $2,289,140.
DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Four New Distinguished Scholars Named
Four rising freshmen have been selected to receive merit-based
boarding scholarships through the Distinguished Scholars
Program. The program seeks boarding candidates who are
among the top 10 percent in national standardized testing,
have grade point averages of 3.7 or higher, have proven
leadership in their schools and organizations, and demonstrate
involvement in their schools and communities.
The distinguished scholars for 2009 are Alanna Bouly, Port
St. Lucie, Fla.; Chase Dixon, Lithia, Fla.; Melissa Manuel,
Woodstock, Ga.; and Sean McGunigal, Monument, Colo.
Novelist Wendell Berry (shown on
left) is featured speaker for the
Cushman Guest Lecture Series named
in honor of former faculty member
Bill Cushman ’59 (on right).
Baylor junior Alex Silvey joins
an elite group of the nation’s
high school students to score a
perfect 2400 on the SAT.
84 students and
graduates named AP
Scholars for their
exceptional achievement
on AP Exams.
Class of 2009 receives
$10.84 million in merit
scholarship offers.
Baylor dedicates both the innovative Harrison Hall and the comfortable gathering spot named for Summerfield Johnston III.
D. Patrick Harding
Harrison Hall Ready for Students
D. Patrick Harding
D. Patrick Harding
Pictured above are Dr. Stacy, Chris Crimmins ’80, Scotty
Probasco ’46, J. Frank Harrison III ’73, Carter Harrison ’09,
and Zan Guerry ’67.
The new Harrison Hall dormitory was officially dedicated in
a ceremony on May 8, and this fall it will be filled with male
boarding students from around the U.S. and the world.
Not only is the 15,000-square-foot structure a prominent
statement of the school’s thriving residential life program; it
is also a visible example of Baylor’s commitment to environmental sustainability. As the area’s first academic institution
to seek LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
building certification, Baylor has established a model of environmental stewardship for other school communities to follow
while providing an important lesson for students. The building
was named in honor of the J. Frank Harrison ’49 family.
Dr. Stacy is pictured with future Harrison Hall residents Ryan
Riedmueller ’11, Young Stowe ’10, D.K. Kim ’11, and Michael
Huang ’10.
Summerfield Johnston III ’72 Honored in Student Center
The newly renovated space within the Frierson Student Center
was named in memory of the late Summerfield “Skeeter”
Johnston ’72 in a touching ceremony that took place May 11.
A highly respected businessman and national leader in the
sport of polo, Johnston held a number of executive positions
with Coca-Cola Enterprises, the largest bottler and distributor
of Coca-Cola products in the world. It is fitting that his
character, generosity, and love of life will be celebrated in a
place that is a central gathering spot for students each day for
years to come.
Pictured above is the Summerfield Johnston family (from left to right): Will Johnston, Summerfield Johnston ’50, Gillian
Johnston, Lavinia Johnston, Leslie Johnston, Louisa Johnston, Robert Johnston, Catherine Cherry, Gillian Johnston ’95, and
George Cherry ’08.
Jack Parker
National Gender Survey: Girls + Boys = A+ at Baylor
A recent Gender Equity Study compiled from surveys of 39
independent schools throughout the U.S. reveals that Baylor
does an exemplary job in providing equitable experiences
for students, regardless of gender, in a number of critical
areas. Highlights of the report include:
School Environment
Baylor received top ratings from both boys and girls when
asked if they felt their school was a good place to grow and
develop. Both genders also report a high level of comfort at
Baylor and felt free to express their opinions in class.
Relationships with Adult Figures
The majority of students at Baylor feel they have an adult they
can speak to on a personal level. Seniors of both genders
exceed the national norm when asked if they have a same
gender adult with whom they can speak.
Residential Life
One hundred percent of Baylor girls and a majority of boys
feel that their dorm is a safe place to live, an exemplary finding
compared to the national norm. An overwhelming majority
of Baylor boarding girls and a majority of the boarding boys
feel cared for by the adults in their dorm. This consistent care
was exemplary for Baylor girls compared to the national norm.
Leadership
An overwhelming majority of Baylor girls feel they have
leadership opportunities, and both genders rate girls as effective
leaders at the school. Overall, Baylor was rated exemplary in
the Girls Leadership category. An overwhelming majority of
boys feel that they have leadership opportunities at Baylor;
while girls and boys rate boys as effective leaders at the school.
Peer Friendships
The majority of boys and girls feel that it is easy to make
friends at Baylor. A majority of students, particularly seniors,
also feel they are able to share true feelings with their classmates;
(exceeding the national norm for both genders).
Ability to Influence Peers
Baylor received an exemplary rating from seniors when asked
if they felt that boys and girls had an equal influence at school.
A majority of students also believe that male and female adults
have an equal influence at Baylor.
Classroom Dynamics
Students of both genders rate Baylor teachers as unbiased in the
classroom – seniors are especially positive. Regarding equitable
discussion in class, Baylor received an exemplary rating from
seniors of both genders (exceeding the national norms).
Stress
Body Image and Attitudes
A majority of both genders at Baylor are able to find healthy
ways to manage stress, and senior girls exceed the national
norm. Seniors of both genders exceed the norm when asked
if they are able to balance academics, extracurricular activities,
friendships, and their health.
In the national data, senior girls are the least healthy group
in their behaviors and attitudes about their bodies. At Baylor,
senior girls considerably exceed the national average, as they
report behaviors and attitudes that make Baylor unique in
fostering a positive body image in adolescent girls.
Source: Independent School Gender Project 1996-2009, by Cheryl Sandford Jenkins, Ed.D., St. George’s School,
Rhode Island; Principal Investigator for the Independent School Gender Project, April 2009.
Baylor’s Alumni Community: Making a Positive Difference
As Baylor sends its seniors out to find their place in the world, the three alums profiled on these
pages have made the world their place. Chrissy Nolan ’01 is easing the transition for German citizens
making their home in Chattanooga. Skip Schwartz ’91 is establishing a Tokyo office for a Chicagobased real estate investment management firm. And Hal Ernest ’49 is making a difference in the
by Rachel Schulson
lives of children in West Africa.
Chrissy Nolan ’01
“I learned how to work hard
at Baylor. We were taught
how to study and how to
pay attention to details.”
The summer before Chrissy Nolan ’01
started at Baylor School, she took a trip
to Germany that put her on the path to
the job she holds today. At the time, her
uncle was stationed in Germany, and
Nolan and her sister, Lauren Nolan Glascock ’98, were both taken with the country
and inspired to learn the language. A
Baylor German teacher and family friend,
Tena Boehm, introduced the sisters to a
German family, and the two families exchanged visits over the next few summers.
Nolan also studied German at Baylor
— for one year with Boehm and another
three with former faculty member Megan
Hanewald — “but I never expected
German to lead to a job,” she said. But
things lined up just right when she was
looking for a Chattanooga-based position
after more than three years in Atlanta,
and Nolan is now the special assistant
to the Volkswagen team at the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.
Nolan, whose sole focus at the Chamber is on Volkswagen, reports to the vice
president of economic development,
Trevor Hamilton. Her role is to serve as
the “common denominator” within the
Chamber, the one person who has an
overall understanding of all Volkswagenrelated projects underway.
In addition to her German abilities,
Nolan’s work experience after college
made her a desirable candidate when the
Chamber created the position she now
fills. Nolan was working in her family
business, which had grown from a Chat-
tanooga tent rental business to a full
service event-planning company with a
second office in Atlanta.
Nolan had been managing weddings,
parties, and other events around the
Southeast, but after three years in Atlanta,
she longed to return to Chattanooga. She
sent a “To Whom it May Concern” inquiry to both the Chattanooga Chamber
and the Convention and Visitors Bureau
just when the Chamber was celebrating
Volkswagen’s decision to build its first
U.S. plant in Chattanooga.
When she interviewed at the Chamber
on Halloween 2008, the responsibilities
of the job were still being determined. By
Christmas Eve, they knew what they needed and offered Nolan a three to four-year
position as Volkswagen liaison.
Nolan credits Baylor for the work ethic
that helped her land such a responsible
position at her age. “I learned how to
work hard at Baylor. We were taught
how to study and how to pay attention
to details.” After Baylor, college was, in
many ways, easier than she expected; she
attended the University of Georgia, where
she studied marketing and, because of
her proficiency in German and a summer
course in Austria, completed a minor in
German with little additional coursework.
After three years of classes with (retired
Baylor math instructor) Lewis Rush, whom
she remembers fondly, Nolan was also
exempt from all college math. Other Baylor
teachers who make Nolan smile when she
remembers their classes include her tenth
grade chemistry instructor and former
Upper School dean, Chris Angel ’89. “I
also loved Dr. Lanza, my tenth grade English teacher.” Her senior English teacher,
Chris Watkins “provided a fun, relaxed
setting, and when you enjoy, you learn.”
As a junior, Nolan joined Baylor’s
community service program, led by Joli
Anderson. Nolan tutored students her
age at the Bethlehem Center in Alton
Park. “We did homework together, and
it grew into relationships. I loved getting
to know them and to learn from our
differences.”
Now that she is settled in Chattanooga, Nolan is seeking volunteer opportunities. And she is already well connected
professionally. “I am the person who
answers when someone calls the Volkswagen Hotline, and I have heard it all,’
said Nolan. Her myriad responsibilities
also include planning meetings, events,
and travel; identifying local service providers; translating; and even helping transplanted workers obtain driver’s licenses.
“I have had long days and some stressful days, but I haven’t had a bad day
yet,” said Nolan. One of the many perks
is that she works with former teacher
Megan Hanewald, now the executive
assistant to Volkswagen’s executive vice
president of human resources in Chattanooga. “The best part is that when I have
an ‘I need my teacher’ moment, she is
right there to provide a translation.”
Nolan and Hanewald work alongside
current Baylor German teacher Judith
Brockhaus’s husband, and former Baylor
English teacher Chris Ferguson leased
Volkswagen its temporary space in Chestnut Tower. “We joke that we could have
a Baylor reunion at work,” said Nolan.
“The interaction I had with teachers
and administrators at Baylor is the reason
that I am now comfortable in meetings
with community leaders, senators, or the
head of Volkswagen. Baylor taught us to
hold our own.”
alumni profiles
Harold A. “Skip” Schwartz III ’91
“I’m always trying to push,
learn, and explore, and I think
that I took that from Baylor.”
When Skip Schwartz ’91 took his bride-tobe, Holly Dobelle, to Chattanooga for the
first time, Baylor was on the itinerary. While
Schwartz enjoyed showing off the impressive
campus, he was also pre-selling the school
as a destination for their future children.
It’s too early to know if his ploy
worked; their children are very young,
and the Schwartzes don’t know what
continent they’ll be living on when Baylor
applications are due. The couple has lived
together in Chicago (where they met
playing beach volleyball) for three years,
London for three, and Frankfurt for four.
Their most recent move was to Tokyo in
2008, on what is expected to be a fiveyear assignment, with their daughter,
Skylar, now three. Their son, Blayden,
was born there in February (see page 35).
Schwartz is a senior vice president and
director of Asian acquisitions with the
Chicago-based, multinational real estate
investment management firm Heitman,
which has enjoyed success in the U.S. since
1966 and Europe since 1996. After having
helped expand the business in Europe,
Schwartz is now establishing the firm’s
Asia Pacific investment platform, working
with new and existing clients to identify
investment and joint venture opportunities
in select markets across Asia.
With a new set of opportunities, responsibilities, challenges — and location
— every few years, Schwarz remains
stimulated by his work even after 12
years with Heitman. While missing friends
and family is a constant, Schwartz notes
that their concerns have changed with
each move. “The first phase of living
abroad was missing the comforts of home
— food, daily conveniences, and the
things we just couldn’t get. By the time
we moved from London to Frankfurt,
we had gotten over that, and we didn’t
need care-packages anymore.” It also
helped that Schwartz studied German
and spent six months studying and interning in Germany while at Stanford.
Japanese culture is less familiar to
Schwartz, but he says that the strength
of the expatriate community balances
being so far from home. Schwartz and
his wife are now learning Japanese; their
daughter attends an international school.
Schwartz joined Heitman when he
graduated from Stanford University in
1995. He had planned to major in economics at Stanford but switched first to
political science and then to international
relations. A fifth year of study earned
Schwartz a master’s degree in organizational behavior in 1996. “I realized ultimately that international relations fit in
with my love of travel and spending time
abroad and would allow me to go into
what I now do.” Schwartz recently completed an MBA from Duke University’s
Fuqua School of Business.
“In many ways, Stanford replicated
what I got from Baylor. Having had a
taste of so many activities, knowing how
to multi-task and interact with a diverse
group of students, all fed into my ability
to jump into Stanford,” said Schwartz.
“Even when I was working on my MBA,
where class participation was important,
I was comfortable because of the dynamic
and interactive learning instilled at Baylor.”
Schwartz inherited his Baylor pride
from his grandfather, the late Dr. Harold
A. Schwartz, Sr. ’28 and father, Harold
A. Schwartz, Jr. ’60. “From day one, you
drive on campus and see beautiful surroundings, awe-inspiring facilities, and
an incredible learning environment. After
that, it offers so much in terms of opportunities and challenges.”
Schwartz was only in his first year at
Baylor when girls joined the student body,
and he was unfazed by the change. “I
was just disappointed when the red B
blazers went out of style,” he joked. But
Schwartz knew that the shift to coeducation did away with a long-time tradition
and appreciated its importance. And
today’s Baylor is not the same as it was
when Schwartz left in 1991. “I like that
Baylor is staying contemporary but keeping its values,” he said. “It’s important
for Baylor to encourage students to be
themselves but at the same time to have
a structure to help them grow.”
Schwartz thrived in such an environment and still appreciates gifted teachers
such as Dr. John Miller, from whom he
took a visual literacy class and who served
as faculty adviser for the film club, Inner
Circle. Schwartz also benefitted from stimulating classes taught by Jim Stover, Roger Vredeveld ’79 and David Harris ’66.
“And from day one, Schaack Van Deusen
’61 challenged me,” said Schwartz, who
started Baylor theater at the sound board
and ended in a leading role. Dr. Dan
Kennedy, Park Lockrow, and O.J. Morgan provided lasting memories, as did late
nights working with adviser Joe Gawrys
on The Baylor Notes as a reporter and
later an editor. Schwartz, whose desire to
explore the world had taken shape in
Coach Hubbs’s seventh grade geography
class, had an “eye opening experience”
when soccer coach Mike Wiersema took
the team to play in the United Kingdom
and Denmark one summer.
“One of my favorite quotes is
‘Christopher Columbus would never have
found America if he knew India was in
a different direction.’ (History instructor)
David Harris may say that it’s not factually correct, but I think it’s a poignant
quote, and the notion of just exploring
rings true for me.”
Schwartz praises Baylor for encouraging
students to try new things without fearing
failure and helping them see challenges as
part of growth. “Baylor does that, and it
brings it all together with the senior trip,
where you can see just who you are as
you’re about to enter college. I’m always
trying to push, learn, and explore, and I
think that I took that from Baylor to
Stanford and now into my career.”
alumni profiles
Harold L. Ernest ’49
“Baylor gives you a sense of
purpose in your life; you learn
to be strong and to persevere.”
A presentation to eighth grade boys at
Knoxville’s Tyson Junior High School
by Baylor’s legendary coach Humpy Heywood was all it took to make Hal Ernest
’49 want to be a Red Raider. That one
visit from Heywood, who Ernest swears
“could charm a bird out of a tree,” had
the same effect on many of his classmates,
and 21 Knoxville boys, most of whom
had never considered boarding, joined
Ernest when he started his freshman year.
Baylor was a great fit for Ernest, and
his memories of his days on campus are
still clear. “M.T. Gregory turned me on
to history, Conrow Miller was very influential, and (English instructor) Roy Ashley was very instrumental in my life,”
said Ernest.
Blessed with a broadcaster’s voice, Ernest
planned to study theater at Northwestern
University after Baylor. But Ernest’s father,
who owned The Ellis & Ernest Drug Store,
a hub for UT students and teachers for 41
years, nixed his son’s plan. “I began UT as
a history major because of Mr. Gregory,
but in the middle of my freshman year, I
switched to journalism,” said Ernest, who
had wanted to be in broadcasting for as
long as he could remember. And he got to
study at Northwestern after all — for two
summers at the school’s prestigious Medill
School of Journalism.
When he graduated from UT, Ernest
was selected for the Columbia University
School of Broadcast in New York City.
Although the program was associated
with Columbia University, it was essentially an intern program for NBC television, and classes were held at the NBC
studios in Rockefeller Center. It was an
exciting time in television. All shows were
presented live, and Ernest got to work
with the big names in the field. He was
backstage with Eddie Fisher, John Cam-
eron Swayze, and David Brinkley and
worked on both dramatic and variety
shows in Studio 8H, the home of today’s
“Saturday Night Live.”
When Ernest finished work at 3 a.m.,
he enjoyed the city that never sleeps. “I’d
go to the Copacabana to watch stars such
as Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra,”
said Ernest, who also has fond memories
of front row seats to “Inherit the Wind,”
compliments of Ed Begley, Sr., whom he
knew from NBC.
After he was in New York for two
years, one of Ernest’s many mentors, UT
alumnus and head of NBC Sports, Lindsey Nelson, advised Ernest to further
hone his skills in a smaller market before
tackling New York. He took Nelson’s
advice and landed a substantial position
at WATE, NBC’s Knoxville affiliate.
Ernest opened the station at 4:30 every
morning and started his day as host of a
children’s show. After doing local cutins during “The Today Show,” Ernest
hosted a mid-day movie matinee and a
mid-afternoon talk show.
Work left little time for romance, and
a friend’s wife thought that her friend Jody
Black, a trained soprano, would be a good
match for Ernest. When Jody first saw
Ernest, he was hosting the mid-day movie,
and was dressed as a snaggletooth character
from the movie. She was a bit more impressed when she saw him again in his
own attire, and the couple married in 1957.
When their twin boys, Hal and Fred,
born in 1958, were a year old, Ernest
was offered a job at CBS News in New
York. CBS could not guarantee that the
job would be anything but temporary,
and Ernest, who did not want to uproot
his family for a crap shoot, turned down
the offer. The job went to Harry Reasoner
of “60 Minutes” fame. Instead, Ernest
took a position at one of Knoxville’s
leading advertising agencies, where he
created a successful mayoral campaign
for Leonard Rogers. He then became the
City of Knoxville’s public relations director. “I worked on city-wide beautification,
tourist and convention promotion, recreation, and indigent care,” said Ernest. “I
got really involved with civil rights. We
brought in the national Urban League,
and it was the best thing we did.” Although he loved working for the city,
Ernest was receptive when Art Lavidge
of the advertising, marketing and public
relations firm Lavidge & Associates offered him a position. Ernest, now senior
vice president, has been with Lavidge
since 1967 and still works full-time.
In 2004, after 47 years of marriage,
Ernest lost Jody. Among the many friends
who offered condolences was Reenie Lay
Gieselmann, the widow of Ernest’s friend
Paul Gieselmann, who had been in
Ernest’s wedding. And Ernest had been
in Reenie and Paul’s 1954 wedding.
Since 1993, Reenie had been a missionary in Kenya, where she had founded
Rachel’s Lament, an organization named
after a Bible verse, which provides schooling and job training for needy children.
As Reenie and Ernest corresponded, a
romance developed, and they were married in June 2005. Reenie now administers
the program from their home in Knoxville; the couple spends three weeks each
summer working together in Africa.
Ernest, who created the organization’s
promotional video and website
(www.rachelslament.com), notes with
pride that many African mothers, aware
of Reenie’s compassion, have named their
children in her honor. “There are Reenies
all over West Kenya,” he said.
As he prepares for his 60th reunion
this fall, Ernest still feels very connected
to Baylor School. In 1989, after a 40year absence, he toured the campus and
wrote about his visit in an issue of this
magazine. While he was certainly awed
by the changes, what he loved most about
the school is still applicable today:
“Baylor gives you a sense of purpose in
your life; you learn to be strong, and to
persevere.”
all pictures by Milly Rawlings
LIVING THE CURRICULUM
f head librarian Milly Rawlings weren’t already a
cheerleader for Baylor’s new Upper School history
curriculum, she would have become one after touring
Italy last summer. Rawlings received a Faculty Global
Study Grant to visit sights in Florence, Siena, Cortona,
Arezzo, and Lucca to become a better resource person
for the new history unit on the Renaissance.
Rawlings majored in comparative literature and
modern European history at Wheaton College in Norton,
Mass. and considers the Renaissance the gateway, or the funnel, to the study of
history. “Splitting world history into two years means that students can cover
through the Renaissance in freshman year, and, the next year, will go from the
mid-1500s to as far as they can go by the end of the year; the history teachers
are committed to relating all the topics they cover to the present day to show
how past events have shaped the present. As a result, students will be well set
for the junior year of U.S. history.”
Rawlings had visited Florence and the surrounding area before, but the study
grant allowed her to visit new and familiar sights with academics in mind. “The
library is directly tied to curriculum at every grade level,” explains Rawlings,
who notes that parents might be surprised at all that happens in the Baylor
library. “Teachers and reference librarians work together to design library-based
projects that support the classroom curriculum and further the information
literacy objectives identified for each grade. There’s so much evidence that people
who are most successful in life are the ones who know how to validate the
information they are getting and to apply the parts that are most useful.”
Rawlings’s own research skills, coupled with those of her traveling companion,
colleague Martha Reilly of the Moorestown Friends School in New Jersey, resulted
in an ambitious itinerary, and the pair took great pride in seeing every sight on
their list. “We had a great time, but it was definitely a working vacation, and
we were out each day from nine in the morning until late each evening,” said
Rawlings. “We divided the Renaissance into five parts — art, architecture, science,
mathematics, and medicine. The discoveries and art were all interwoven; math
informed science, and vice versa. It was just fascinating.”
Faculty Global Study
Grant Recipients
Baylor’s Faculty Global Study Grant program, which is funded by the Hamico
Foundation, enables faculty to travel
and study abroad, gain direct experience
with other parts of the world and other
cultures, and share those experiences.
2007-08
Tammy Burns: two-week trip to China
Dr. David Conwell: two-week summer
trip to Athens to do final research on
his book
Joanne Letendre: a series of tours of
colleges in the United Kingdom
Dr. Dawn Richards: an 18-day trip to
study environmental sustainability in
Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland
Sharon Wang: an 11-day trip to China,
Taiwan, and Korea to network with the
families of international students
2008-09
Amy Cohen: Joyce Maynard’s writing
workshop in Guatemala
Joe Gawrys: exploration of Rome in
preparation for teaching about Ancient
Rome in World History I
This spring, when freshmen and sophomores studied the Renaissance for a
month, Rawlings was able to enrich the unit with her firsthand knowledge and
recent understanding of the subject. The rising sophomores will be the first class
to take World History II, and their study of the Renaissance as freshmen will
enhance their understanding of and appreciation for the material.
Rawlings, married to Peter Rawlings ’71, joined the Baylor faculty in 1986
as a part-time librarian alongside Bruce High, her mentor when she was in
graduate school. She credits High — who taught at Baylor, left to earn his master’s
degree in library science, and then returned in 1971to head the library — with
re-modeling the school’s library program and embedding the library into the
curriculum for all grades. Rawlings became a full-time librarian in 1991 and
took the helm of the library a year later.
Rawlings’s travel grant was the second she received from Baylor. In 1993,
while studying British libraries, Rawlings spent a week at the Bodleian Library
at Oxford University, which existed before Columbus’s voyage and is, according
to Rawlings, “Mecca to a librarian.” The trip, and the way it informed her work
when she returned, prompted Rawlings to seek a Faculty Global Study Grant 15
years later. “This program encourages teachers to find an element in their area
and concentrate on it, like a mini-sabbatical.” She adds that the Faculty Global
Study Grant, a rare offering for a secondary school, “has really expanded the
Baylor curriculum in unimaginable ways, giving teachers the opportunity to focus
on something that they believe is essential knowledge for their students and to
be a resource for other teachers.”
The selection panel for the Faculty Global Study Grant is comprised of those
who have received grants in science, language, art, residential life, etc. the previous
year. Rawlings enjoyed reviewing grant applications and is excited about this
year’s awards (see sidebar).
Among Rawlings’s many stops in Italy were visits to Renaissance libraries.
“One of the great libraries of Florence is formed from the collected libraries of
great and powerful men, in the same way that Thomas Jefferson’s library was
the basis of our Library of Congress.” That interconnectedness — of history and
the present, of something learned across the world and a lesson taught in a Baylor
classroom — is at the heart of the Faculty Global Study Grant. “I appreciate
being part of a school that offers academic opportunities like these to its faculty
members,” said Rawlings. “It is such a privilege.”
by Rachel Schulson
Megan Hanewald: traveled to Austria
to study the cultural, political, and
socioeconomic climate
Ginnie Harris: led a group of adults
and a student to Paris
Milly Rawlings: studied the great
libraries of Florence so that she can
serve as a resource on the Renaissance
Angela Rich: sharpened sense of design
in Paris
Karen Smith: Creativity Workshop on
Crete
Chris Watkins: NAIS Delegate for
Diversity in China and Taiwan
2009-10
Ward Fleissner: participation in the
Vergilian Society’s twelve-day “Aegean
World of the Homeric Heroes” study
tour plus additional travel in Greece
Leroy Guy: two-week exploration of
the geology and climate of Iceland
Tim Laramore and Tim Williams: tenday trip to Panama to scout out a future
Walkabout trip
David Padilla: twelve-day trip to Ireland
to explore the world of Irish writers
Lorraine Stewart: participation in a
three-week course in Comillas,
Cantabria, Spain, on Applying New
Technologies to the Teaching of Spanish
ducation has been a way of life for
Dr. Bill Stacy, who retired this
June from a career in education that
spanned 45 years in higher education
and, most recently, five years as Baylor’s
eighth headmaster. Recalling a high
school coach who encouraged him to
aim for a college scholarship and a
professor who encouraged him to pursue
a master’s degree and later a doctorate
degree, it’s no surprise that he emphasizes the importance of mentors in a
young person’s life as he looks back on
his career.
Dr. Bill Stacy Reflects on a Life of Service in Education
by Barbara Kennedy
In your final chapel address to students, you cited
various mentors you have had in your life. Can you
discuss the impact some of these individuals had on
you? I advised the students in chapel to choose their mentors
carefully. Almost all of us are mentored at some time in our
lives, whether we ask for it deliberately or it just happens
naturally. We also probably have several mentors in a lifetime,
maybe only one or a few at a time, but I have found that
mentors make a profound difference in one’s life.
My mentors were primarily men and women in my family,
the church, and school. Business leaders and other professionals
who cared and gave back to community also got my attention
and led by example worthy of following. I hope Johnny
Griffith, Earl Bradley, H.O. Grauel, Ann Bradshaw, Ann
Reynolds, Helen Locke, Kenny Knox, Jack Lupton, Scottie
Probasco, Zan Guerry, Jon Kinsey, Sue Stacy, Fred Goodwin,
Oscar Hirsch, Mark Scully – and a whole lot of other individuals
in my life have felt at some time that their “student” was
paying attention – trying to learn the lesson.
Why did you ultimately choose a career in education?
Educators were the most important role models for me. I knew
more teachers, admired what they did, and felt I could give
back something that education had given my life. I frankly
didn’t know judges, lawyers, physicians, dentists, bankers,
businessmen and women, to the extent that I knew teachers
and coaches. I wanted to be like the people who helped me,
people whom I respected.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your
tenure at Baylor? I have loved the students. Period. So the
hardest part for me has been the same things that were hard
for me as a father to my own children. When a student could
not quite uphold the Honor Code or had to leave Baylor for
whatever reason, I hurt for that student, for his family, for his
friends – and just for myself. I felt every student who was
admitted here deserved to finish here, and anyone who didn’t
was an unfulfilled personal responsibility.
What was the most gratifying aspect? The students
really have been the most gratifying aspect – partly because
of their acceptance of me, but mostly because they were such
a pleasure to be around. I was proud to see our students
happily engaged and united for a common cause, to see them
gladly go about the work of collecting donations of food, or
clothes, or books for people they might never know. I have
loved the spirit of Baylor students. They live the Honor Code.
They hold each other in respect no matter what the differences.
When I came to Baylor, I already knew the school had
great faculty and staff. I knew we could make upgrades in the
school without actually having continuous interaction with
the students, but it became very clear that students accepted
Sue and me at ball games, downtown at the theater, in an
assembly, walking across the quad, at a play, and at graduations.
I came to love the interaction. I loved the sincere energy of a
high five. I was so pleasantly stunned to hear the students
chant my name in Duke Arena, or to hear them laugh and get
so excited in pep rallies at the old guy in the tacky red suit,
or put my picture on the Ragtails t-shirt! The students acknowledged me, accepted me, and included me, and I am
deeply grateful to them for doing so.
Can you share some of the special memories that
you will be taking with you from Baylor? I will be
taking the image of students talking, laughing, and supporting
each other across the campus. I have loved seeing the blur of
them growing up right in front of my eyes. And, I still see that
football bouncing off the goal post at Finley and the Raiders
stuck one foot from victory at the greatest high school football
game I have ever seen. I loved seeing the aquatic center become
part of Baylor, but even more, I was in awe of the students
who kept making record after record in that pool and becoming
All-American athletes and national champions. I loved the
record of golf champs year after year, and all of our other
state champion teams. I am in awe of the senior trip. And,
finally to Round Table, I would say thanks to the students
who were unfailing in their brilliant insights. Baylor, has given
me the most wonderful “book end” to a fabulous career. I
am grateful to you. I will remain in your corner – always.
A New Chapter...
by Barbara Kennedy
Baylor bids farewell to five dedicated faculty and staff members, who collectively
represent 188 years of service to Baylor School.
Bill Abel
Bill Abel’s first assignment as a new Baylor
teacher 38 years ago was to greet students
and parents to summer school sessions.
“On that warm afternoon in June, I was
paired with Jim Hitt, chair of the English
department, who clearly described a colorful
history of Baylor. I was mesmerized by his love of the institution
and became hooked on the unique Baylor legacy and experiences,” says Abel.
“My first year at Baylor was the first year after the military
program had been disbanded. Although this was a major
change, I feel the school continued to benefit from the military
traditions. Even though students were no longer in military
dress, student leadership continued, respect for classmates and
faculty continued unabated, and students knew they were
expected to work hard and would be rewarded only for a job
well done. Long hair became the means for personal expression
and rebellion, but students and faculty dressed in coat and tie
on a daily basis,” recalls Abel. “The most dramatic change
occurred when girls were admitted. Initially, the upperclassmen
were not pleased with this decision, and the first group of girls
had to be tough-minded. They were soon appreciated and
respected for their intelligence, their athletic ability and their
competitiveness in all aspects of their new school. In time they
have brought out the best in all of us.”
In addition to social and cultural changes, Abel has witnessed
the transformation of the math classroom with the increase
of technology. “Students are expected to learn process, write
about mathematics, and explain procedures using their graphing
calculators. They are actually doing more math as opposed
to watching teacher demonstrations,” says Abel. “In geometry
we have eliminated the traditional compass and straight edge
constructions. We now use Geometer’s Sketchpad, a computer
software program that allows students to see results quickly,
search for patterns and better understand the connection
between inductive and deductive reasoning processes. Most
recently, The Smart Board technology has helped ease note
taking because notes can now be placed on our websites, and
work can be quickly saved for revisiting and revision.”
Abel has appreciated the opportunity to have a career that
feeds off the energy of young students. “The love of all that
is new and exciting is contagious and invigorating. It is easy
to remain young at heart when you are around students who
care about others and are willing to take risks. Watching them
mature and overcome difficulties is an amazing privilege, as
well. Coaching and watching young athletes improve each
day at practice and then experiencing the thrill of watching
them compete well is what athletics are all about. And, of
course there are memories to cherish of improbable victories,
particularly when the opponent is your arch rival. It has always
been personally satisfying to know that I came to work with
colleagues who genuinely care about their students and who
want to develop young people to their full potential. My
colleagues have truly been a family with a sense of togetherness,
and that has been the case since my first day on campus.”
Barry Hall
The first day of Barry’s Hall’s 28-year Baylor
career was remarkably similar to that of
students who were also new to the school.
“The most overwhelming thing was going
to lunch the first day. The dining hall was
packed, and I knew no one. I will forever
be indebted to Coach Red Etter, who saw me come in, took
me to his table, and talked to me the entire lunch period.”
Having taught in the public school system for 17 years
prior to coming to Baylor (he received the Chattanooga Jaycees’
Outstanding Educator Award during those years), Hall says
he made few adjustments when the school admitted girls in
1985. “I think having girls in the classroom was a shock to
many teachers, but it was a normal thing for me.”
Hall says students are the best thing about teaching, and
he still treasures the years his own children were Baylor
students. “One moment that stands out in my mind is my
daughter’s first day as a seventh grader. I walked into the
dining hall, and she ran over and gave me a big hug and kiss
in front of several hundred people. That never changed for
the next six years — I still get a warm and wonderful feeling
whenever I think about it.”
Although Hall will continue teaching astronomy as an
Upper School elective, he officially retired from the Middle
School in June. “I hate to leave, but at least I will still have
daily contact for the next year or two, and I won’t miss the
alarm going off at 5:30 a.m.”
Judy Klemm
In her 28-year Baylor career, Judy Klemm
has had her hand in a variety of daily operations and a bird’s eye view of significant
changes in the school’s culture.
Initially she was hired as the secretary
for the new Sundance Program, designed
to promote “lifelong sports and lifetime fitness” and required
of all students. She later worked as a secretary for Bruce High,
former dean of faculty and head librarian; Dr. Herb Barks,
Jr. ’51, the school’s fifth headmaster and president; Cissy
Lewis, former assistant to the president; Nelson Sudderth,
former Upper School dean; Bill Cushman ’59, who served as
dean of faculty from 1990 – 1996; Nina Clippard and Donna
Robinson, both former counselors; and former chaplain Ed
Snow. Most recently she has served as Administrative Assistant
to the Chaplain and to the Director of Counseling.
“One of the biggest changes from those days was the
wonderful addition of girls to our campus. I have also watched
our student body increase from 500 to more than 1,000
students, and I have seen the alumni chapel, dining hall, art
buildings, science building, and new dorms being built. It has
been exciting to watch it all unfold. I love Baylor and feel so
fortunate to have been a part of the school community.”
Jim Morgan
Veteran faculty member Jim Morgan retired
this summer from the science classroom,
although his connection to Baylor remains
steadfast as a varsity wrestling coach,
Middle School cross-country coach, and
assistant varsity track coach.
Looking back on his first days in the classroom in 1985,
when he was appointed to teach Chemistry and coach wrestling,
Morgan admits he was nervous. “Fortunately, I was able to
audit a six-hour course at the University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga during the summer prior to coming to Baylor.
Dr. Herb Barks and Dr. George Taylor were most helpful and
supportive in my transition back to the classroom,” says Morgan.
Not surprisingly, he says the use of computers and immediate
access to information are the most dramatic changes he has
witnessed in the classroom and believes that learning chemistry
ultimately rests with the interest and effort put forth by
students. And it is the students, he says, who have brought
him great joy over the years. “Having students go from a C
or D grade level average in the first semester to an A or B level
the second semester has meant a great deal to me. My coaching
experiences in wrestling, cross-country, track, and soccer will
also be cherished as long as I live.”
The feelings are mutual among his former students at both
the college and high school level. In 1983 the UTC yearbook
was dedicated to Jim; 11 years later he received the Baylor
yearbook dedication and was honored again with the 2005
dedication. “The honor of having three yearbooks dedicated to
me is an experience that I will always cherish,” he says modestly,
“and I feel privileged to have been a part of Baylor School.”
Velda Price
As an associate in the development office,
Velda Price helps keep track of nearly 25,000
constituency records that serve as the lifeline
for mailings and events steered by the annual
fund, planned giving, capital campaign,
alumni, and communications departments.
When she arrived as a temp worker 30 years ago, typewriters, carbon copies, and copious files were the norm. Today,
software specifically designed for school development offices
helps streamline the process. What hasn’t changed, however,
is the ongoing need to cultivate relationships and maintain
accurate records. “Technology has greatly changed the way
information is gathered and processed. However, I still feel
that we are in the friend and fund-raising business. The
combination of personal contact and attention to detail is still
the best rule of thumb,” says Price.
Over the years she has been the contact person for several
data conversions and served as data control specialist, annual
fund director, and acting director of development. “The alumni
are a special group of folks, and I have been blessed to have
the opportunity to get to know so many of them. I have
especially enjoyed getting to know the retired faculty from the
early days of Baylor. Most of them are now deceased, but the
stories they have shared over the past 30 years have been
interesting and amazing.”
For someone who has dedicated three decades building a
career based on cultivating and maintaining relationships, it’s no
surprise that she is now looking forward to devoting more time
to her family. “My husband has been retired for several years,
and I will be able to spend more time with him,” says Price. “My
dad turned 90 in June, and my mom is 84. I am blessed that they
are still well and enjoying life, and I want to be available to make
a few more memories with these two amazing people.”
George Taylor ’54
Retiring at the end of his 40th year of
teaching at Baylor, George “Doc” Taylor
is in the unique position of looking back
over a tenure that has included the transition
from a military to non-military school, all
boys to coeducation, and the leadership of
six headmasters. Another major change was the student body
size, which has doubled since he first arrived, and the move
from Barks Hall to the Katherine and Harrison Weeks science
building in 1999.
Taylor also notes the changes brought about by technology.
“The VCR tapes that were so prominent a few years ago are
almost ancient history. We went through a period when laser
discs were the latest thing; now hardly any students have even
seen them. Years ago you had to rent 16 mm films and had
to plan several months ahead. You had to use them then,
ready or not.”
What hasn’t changed, he says, are the students. “Most of
them are still willing and anxious to try and do what you ask
and to work hard, even though they have much longer and
busier days now and far more demands on their time.”
Highlights of his dedicated service include 18 years as
Baylor’s science department chair. He was a highly respected
contributor to physics curriculum in the U.S., having provided
material for The Mechanical Universe video series and C3P,
the Comprehensive Conceptual Curriculum for Physics, among
others. His many accolades include being named Tennessee’s
outstanding high school physics teacher and receiving the
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching and the
Baylor Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Class of 2009: Eight Notable Seniors
While their appreciation may grow over time, the
graduates profiled on these pages already are
aware of what they’ve gained by attending Baylor.
These eight students spoke of the school as the
place where they took chances, received encouragement, and found guidance in becoming their
best selves. They represent a class that has enriched
the Baylor community in the classroom, on the
playing field, and in the arts.
by Rachel Schulson
Class of 2009: Eight Notable Seniors
BILL MATTHEWS
« Cross Country
« Prefect, Lupton III
« Red Circle
« Religious Roundtable
« Track
Bill Matthews chose to run for Baylor because “they had my
best interests in mind, and I thought I’d have a healthy
experience here.” Matthews feels well prepared both
academically and emotionally for the University of Georgia,
where he’ll run cross country after an impressive high school
career. Matthews credits his success in part to “the sense of
community and belonging” that he felt at Baylor.
Matthews won state championships in the 800, 1600, and
3200 meter runs in both 2008 and 2009 and this spring had
the fastest time for the mile of any high school runner in the
country. He plans to major in business and then to keep
running after college with a goal of signing with a shoe company
or a post-collegiate Olympic development training group.
ROB MCRAE
« Captain, Varsity Football
« Helping the Hungry
« Habitat for Humanity
« Junior Varsity Baseball
« Participant, Boys State 2008
« Track
Those who know Rob McRae will not be surprised that he
wants to serve in the military or that he has set his sights on
the Marine Corps because he considers it the most challenging
branch. McRae has pushed himself at Baylor, athletically, in
the classroom, and through community service. He appreciates
Baylor for having taught him leadership skills through sports
— McRae was football team captain — and time management
skills. ”Baylor has helped me in many avenues. I feel very
prepared for the next step in education and in life.”
McRae’s next step is The Citadel, where he is considering
a major in business.
Class of 2009: Eight Notable Seniors
ANN TYLER MOSES
« National Merit Finalist
« Inner Circle
« Red Circle
« National Honor Society
« Freshman Trip Instructor
« Secretary, Round Table
« RESPECT Leadership Board
« Site Leader and Grant Writing Leader
« Community Service Trips to Jamaica and Asheville
« Staff Writer, The Baylor Notes
When Ann Tyler Moses decided to give her after-school time
exclusively to community service, she could no longer participate
in Baylor theater productions. Her solution? To secure a grant
to fund the production of plays at Westside Recreation Center
— and to write and direct those plays for three years running.
Although Moses is interested in religious studies and political
science — the two classes she took when she attended the
Tennessee Governors School for Humanities — she intends
to pursue a career in science at Stanford University.
“I am humbled by Baylor, from the elegant equations we
do in math to the great books we read in English to the skills
of the people I work with in community service. Baylor has
shown me the power of humanity and given me an appreciation
of what we can do.”
AUDREY OWENS
« Red Circle
« Chair, Honor Council
« Crew
« Head Prefect, Hunter Hall
« Lacrosse
« Junior Varsity Soccer
« Freshman Trip Instructor
« Habitat for Humanity
« Helping the Hungry
« National Honor Society
« Jim Pearce Leadership Trip
« Student Instructor, Walkabout
« Environmental Community Service
In addition to living in a dorm the past four years, serving as
Honor Council chair has provided Audrey Owens with
additional opportunities to learn about community — and
about leadership. “The two hardest things during a trial are
talking with other members about what you’re thinking and
collectively deciding something.” Educating students about the
Honor Council is another role Owens has embraced. “In a
community, people should understand how it works; it’s not
supposed to be a secret.” Appropriately, Owens is “interested
in studying how people live” at Georgia Tech and is considering
a major in history, technology, and society.
Class of 2009: Eight Notable Seniors
MOSES SONG
« Red Circle
« Proctor, Probasco Hall
« Habitat for Humanity
« Orchestra
« Peer Tutor
« Peer Support Network
« Earth Advocates
« Alternative Energy Club
« Harambee
« Model Congress
« National Honor Society
« French Club
« Junior Varsity Soccer
« International Student Association
« Dorm Representative, Student Council
Whether he’s enjoying the logic of a math problem, the way
his AP biology teacher presents information, or the satisfaction
of teaching himself to break dance, Moses Song is happiest
when he is expanding his world. And Song appreciates the
support he has gotten from teachers and the dorm faculty in
doing so. “Teachers are always available, and I have learned
so much at Baylor, both through boarding life and academically.”
A violinist since age four, Song was the principal second
of the Chattanooga Youth Symphony and was selected for
two years to the All State East Tennessee Orchestra. This fall,
he will attend Johns Hopkins University, where he plans to
pursue a double major in music performance and pre-med.
CAT SPRATT
« Orchestra
« Round Table
« National Honor Society
« Model UN
« Harvard Model Congress
« Staff Writer, The Baylor Notes
« RESPECT Leadership Board, Site Leader
« Community Service Trips to Jamaica and Asheville
Cat Spratt’s first volunteer experience — through Erlanger
Hospital’s Junior Volunteer program — “opened my eyes to
what I could do with the community.” Once inspired, Spratt
took full advantage of Baylor’s many community service
opportunities, serving as a site leader and a member of the
RESPECT Leadership Board and participating in service trips
to Jamaica and Asheville.
Spratt also makes a difference through music, both on and
off campus. She was a cellist with the Chattanooga Youth
Symphony Orchestra, and she received statewide recognition
for her considerable musical talent. Spratt will attend Indiana
University this fall. She then plans to earn a doctorate in
musicology and to pursue a career as a performer.
Class of 2009: Eight Notable Seniors
ALEXIS TONEY
« President, Harambee
« Red Circle
« National Honor Society
« Student Outreach
« Community Service
« Peer Tutor
« Writing Center Tutor
« Varsity Track
« Captain, Varsity Lacrosse
« Chapel Advisory Committee
« Helping The Hungry
« Representative, Student Diversity Leadership Conf.
« Participant, National Student Leadership Conference
« Coordinator, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Alexis Toney never anticipated taking a leadership role at Baylor,
the school her mother had to talk her into attending. But her
participation in student leadership diversity conferences — in
Boston in 2007 and in New Orleans in 2008 — changed her.
“Before the conferences, I was ignorant about different
religions and different ethnicities,” said Toney, who advocates
for diversity as a member and president of Baylor’s Harambee.
“Baylor has taught me to do things on my own, to be a more
independent person.” This fall, Toney will further her
independence when she attends New York University as an
MLK Scholar.
CHRISTINE WAITE
« Prefect, Hunter Hall « Student Council
« Dorm Council
« Peer Tutor
« Red Circle
« Peer Support Network
« Instructor, Freshman Trip
« Coxswain, Varsity Boys’ Crew
Christine Waite never heard of crew before she rowed as a
Baylor freshman. Shorter by far than her teammates, Waite
was advised by her coach to expand her options beyond a
high school career by becoming a coxswain. Waite intended
to cox for the girls’ team for one year, but, after she accepted
an offer to join the boys’ team — “the best decision I’ve made”
— she committed fully to crew. Waite was recruited by Gonzaga
University in Spokane, Wash., who also offered a significant
academic scholarship.
Waite, who, until last year, had never been west of Nashville,
welcomes the chance to go beyond the familiar. “It will be
very different,” said Waite about Gonzaga, where she plans
to study engineering.
Final Thoughts...
on being a redhead
“Don’t allow your physical presentation to define you as a person. Realize that
everything you do affects someone else. Understand that we live in a universe of
relativity, as Dr. Taylor keeps trying to teach us, that your very presence on this
earth determines the identity of someone else. Avail yourself of each opportunity
that comes your way in order to improve upon who you are.”
In this excerpt from her senior speech, Melody Oliphant ’09
shares her musings on intelligence, individuality, and being
a redhead:
I am a redhead. Yes, I am one of the lucky ones. I am a
part of the approximate four percent of the population
worldwide, two percent of the population nationwide, who
can proudly proclaim, “I am a natural redhead.” We are one
of the most underrepresented, unheard, and underrated minority
groups on the planet. The fact that my parents — who both
have dark hair — were able to produce not one, but two
redheads is a miracle — a genetic novelty. But the life of a
redhead is not all glory and glamour. We are a population
that scientists estimate will become extinct or exceedingly rare
in 100 years. We are a population plagued by the scorching
sun and its devilish ultraviolet rays.
So, perhaps my red hair doesn’t actually affect my beliefs,
my values, my habits, or my character. My perspective is not
the derivative of my physical presentation. Perhaps, my redhead
identity is merely manifested in the fact that I visit the
dermatologist nearly every three to six months and that I can
walk into a hair salon and expect women to swoon with envy
as they inquire, “Is that your real hair color?” But, that’s just
what makes talking about cultural traditions and diversity
difficult. It’s impossible to control the color of your skin, the
date you were born, the culture that you were born into; and
this identification means something entirely different for everyone.
The definition of your diversity is propelled from your
understanding and connections with your personal sphere of
experiences and relationships. Robert Penn Warren, however,
put it more eloquently in his novel, All the King’s Men: “They
say you are not you except in terms of relation to other people.
If there weren’t any other people, there wouldn’t be any you
because what you do, which is what you are, only has meaning
in relation to other people.” That is to say, we do not exhibit
this inherent sense of self. We change as the people, the scenery,
and the experiences change around us.
In middle school, I skipped a grade. I learned two very
important lessons from this experience. First, I am young. I will
graduate from high school the day after my seventeenth birthday.
Second, I am intelligent. I know that I am intelligent because
when I skipped a grade, my classes did not become much more
difficult. They simply had different names and older people.
Like all things, however, intelligence is relative. In my AP
Calculus BC class, I consider myself average, or less than
average. I gaze with reverence at my peers who are able to
solve related rate problems in a matter of mere seconds and
who don’t blunder through indeterminate limits as I do, aka
Bryan McMahon ’09 — a fellow redhead I might add. I have
deep respect for people who are better than I am. After all,
everyone has talents and a palette for potential, whether that
aptitude is personified in Bobby Fischer and his remarkable
ability to play chess or Dr. Richards, my AP Environmental
Science teacher, who selflessly devotes her professional and
personal time to address each child’s needs with the gift of
inspiration. Luckily for us, several other Baylor faculty members
parallel her dedication and insight.
Why did I decide to skip a grade though? Several people
are capable of skipping a grade. That much is clear by the
number of students who take not simply honors and AP
courses, but courses above grade level. I skipped a grade
because I was inspired. I attend boarding school because I feel
this inspiration to pursue the abundance of possibilities for
my education. When I encounter apathy regarding something
I am passionate about, I cannot help but feel urged to dispel
this indifference. However, I was somewhat apathetic in my
younger years. I didn’t want to skip a grade or change schools
initially for only one reason: I wanted to be with my friends
the friends that I had known my entire life. I almost sacrificed
my education and the corresponding opportunities for a little
teen angst about making new friends.
I now have a pretty strong sense of my foundation and my
sphere of influences and feel prepared and poised to segue
into the next chapter of my education, but more importantly,
the next epoch of my life. In relationships ready to be nurtured
at college, I am eager to discover the meanings of me as Robert
Penn Warren evokes.
Alas, no senior speech would be complete without a little
advice from an enlightened member of the senior class. So, my
advice to you is this: Don’t allow your physical presentation
to define you as a person. Realize that everything you do affects
someone else. Understand that we live in a universe of relativity,
as Dr. Taylor keeps trying to teach us, that your very presence
on this earth determines the identity of someone else. Avail
yourself of each opportunity that comes your way in order to
improve upon who you are. As Desta, the Ethiopian exchange
student, said, “We, as citizens of the United States, are the
luckiest people in the world. We have every opportunity that
we can ask for,” and it’s true. Lastly, appreciate that there are
people in this world who are better than you and take the
opportunity to hear, to learn, and to grow from them.
View from this year’s Senior Trip. Photo by Barbara Kennedy.
Although we say good-bye to Baylor, the experiences stay with us. We
may say good-bye to Mr. Dering’s stories but not to his nuggets
of knowledge that slip
into our brains behind the wit and humor. The Baylor players displayed for us the power
of
human emotion, and those AP Art students instilled in us an appreciation for art
and beauty. Those team bus rides and practices manifested the value of teamwork;
our coaches taught us the importance
that
of a strong work ethic; and our results illustrated
passion often defeats talent. And our friends have taught each of us something
different, but one lesson that remains constant is that all our
knowledge and experiences
have meaning only if we can share them with someone else. As we
leave Baylor, we take with us much more than we leave behind.
~David Burt ’09, Valedictorian
Friday, October 2
Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament
Valleybrook Golf and Country Club
Tailgating on Rike Field
Baylor vs. McCallie Football Game
Baylor School’s Heywood Stadium
Class Reunion Parties for 1949 and 1959
Mountain City Club
SATURday, October 3
Baylor “Paint Out” and Juried Art Show
Local and regional artists create paintings
Baylor’s Campus
Headmaster’s Luncheon
and Alumni Awards Presentation
Guerry Dining Hall
Celebrate Alumni
Weekend 2009
Saturday Evening Class Reunions
For Classes: 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979,
1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004
Half Century Club Dinner
and Induction of the Class of 1959
Walden Club
SUNday, October 4
Alumni Memorial Service
and Alumni Brunch
Baylor Chapel and Guerry Dining Hall
www.baylorschool.org
Baylor School
171 Baylor School Road
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405
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