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Celebrating 100 years
Jan 7, 2005 8:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
In September of 1905, Darlington School prepared to open its doors for the first time to a handful of students. A century later, the School will graduate a senior class of over 100.
“It is a great honor and privilege to be at Darlington during this time and to think back over what has been accomplished during the last 100 years,” said Headmaster David Rhodes.
For 100 years, Darlington School has been making memories.
“This is Darlington’s 100th anniversary school year, and I am proud to say that I have been connected to Darlington for over 44 of those years, as a boarding student, a teacher, a parent of two Darlington grads, a Trustee and a willing volunteer,” said Bob Berry (’64).
Mai Mai Kelly (’72T), co-chairperson of the Centennial Committee, said her history with the School has also been long and eventful. A graduate of Thornwood and the daughter, wife, mother, sister and niece of Darlington graduates, Kelly met her husband here. “My husband attended school here, and our first date took place at the football field,” she said. “I met him after the Castle Heights game. Darlington had a victory over Castle Heights that night. It’s been a long history.”
The School has graduated 11 members of the Ford family in three generations, and brothers Tom and Jim (’54) are grateful. “My Darlington years go back to before I entered school,” said Jim Ford. “While in grammar school, I went to Darlington Day Camp and learned to swim in the lake. I’ll never forget the thrill of passing that first swimming test.”
Michelle Denney Worley (’74), the School’s first female graduate after the merge of Thornwood and Darlington, will never forget graduation day. “I remember we were in the Darlington Chapel and I was already on the stage, along with the rest of the chorus. We were to sing a couple of songs after the presentation of diplomas and then lead everyone in singing the Darlington alma mater,” she said. “Mr. Gordon Bondurant and Dr. Charles Hawkins presented my diploma to me. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had touched the boundless heights I had only sung about in the Thornwood alma mater, and now I was moving forward ‘to conquer and prevail’ (words from the Darlington alma mater).”
Chairman of the Board of Trustees Roby Robinson (’58) calls his four years at Darlington the most meaningful years of his life. “The whole experience was the cornerstone for whatever values that I have today and the cornerstone for whatever I may have accomplished in my life,” he said.
Chris Jefts (’84) agreed. “Many of the ‘life lessons’ that I have carried with me actually began taking root more than 25 years ago,” he said. “Coach Jim Van Es was an educator by example in the disciplines of perseverance, teamwork and unfaltering loyalty. His halftime ‘Never Stop Dreaming’ speech that he delivered to his players, no matter what the scoreboard might have read at the buzzer, is still an influence in my life today.”
Returning to both the Darlington and Thornwood campuses is often thrilling for its alumni. Bill Elfrink, one of two 1939 alumni who made it back for this year’s reunion, said it was like coming home after a long absence. Thom Young (’74) said his heart rate went up with a sense of excitement.
“Since graduating in 1974, I have experienced more than I ever thought possible. Darlington started me on this trip, giving me all the tools to deal with it, so when I return to Darlington School, it is with a deep feeling of gratitude and debt,” said Young.
Anne Morgan Sisley (’71T) and Ansley Briley Saville (’69T) feel the same about Thornwood.
“I love returning to the campus,” said Sisley. “There is still enough of the stately ‘old school’ in place to rekindle the fond memories of the people and events which made up those magical six years.”
Saville’s son, Bert, had classes in what had once been Thornwood’s lunchroom. “Seeing the ‘little people’ running all over the campus was an odd experience, but once to which I soon adjusted. It really gave a new life to Thornwood, and watching it change over the years makes it seem as if my time there was a dream,” she said.
Some alumni loved the School so much they came back years later to start a career.
Sam Moss (’63), associate headmaster and dean of college guidance, returned to Darlington in 1982 and has been here ever since. “It was a chance to come to a school I loved as a student and to follow in the footsteps of my great mentor and friend Doc Regester, who held this title before me,” said Moss. “I am proud of the number of alumni (boys, girls, day and boarding) who choose to come back. It says something marvelous about the School.”
Marisa Ortega (’85), English and drama teacher said she feels fortunate that her children are growing up at Darlington. “I was a student here, came back after college and have been teaching here, got married in the Chapel and am now raising a family here,” she said. “It’s a wonderful place to raise children because the teachers are our friends, the students are our babysitters ... We’re just a big family in this beautiful place.”
And as Darlington approaches the beginning of its second century, many feel that its greatest strength has always lain in the loyalty of its faculty members and their commitment to the students.
“Bruce Burch was the most inspiring teacher I had during my year at Darlington. I have never seen, even in my German school, such a teacher who was just fascinated in every single period by the material he was teaching us,” said Dr. Britta Stern (’94). “He fought the Civil War in front of the desk. You couldn’t distract him, and that was what fascinated me.”
Wade Brannon (’79) found a mentor in George Awsumb, who continues to teach AP Humanities and Cinema at the Upper School. “I was a bit misguided when I arrived as a ninth grader. Mr. Awsumb treated me like an adult and very subtly coaxed me into growing up and accepting responsibility for my actions,” he said. “In addition to being a great adviser who was always there when I needed him, but not oppressively so, he was a great teacher.”
Steve Spinks (’87) credits David Walker, former Physics and Chemistry teacher, with making complex subjects relevant and helping him develop outside of the classroom. “He came by my dorm room one night and asked me and my roommate, ‘What do you know with absolute certainty? I’ll be back tomorrow, and if
you can tell me,
I’ll release you from your study hall duties,’” recalled Spinks. “He came back night after night and tore apart every answer we came up with. The answer, which we eventually figured out, was that we only know with certainty that we exist. I learned later that this was Descartes’ riddle, to which he came up with the answer ‘I think; therefore, I am.’”
“The Centennial is an extraordinary milestone for Darlington,” said Jim Hendrix, interim president.
“It is a great honor and privilege to be at Darlington during this time and to think back over what has been accomplished during the last 100 years,” said Headmaster David Rhodes.
For 100 years, Darlington School has been making memories.
“This is Darlington’s 100th anniversary school year, and I am proud to say that I have been connected to Darlington for over 44 of those years, as a boarding student, a teacher, a parent of two Darlington grads, a Trustee and a willing volunteer,” said Bob Berry (’64).
Mai Mai Kelly (’72T), co-chairperson of the Centennial Committee, said her history with the School has also been long and eventful. A graduate of Thornwood and the daughter, wife, mother, sister and niece of Darlington graduates, Kelly met her husband here. “My husband attended school here, and our first date took place at the football field,” she said. “I met him after the Castle Heights game. Darlington had a victory over Castle Heights that night. It’s been a long history.”
The School has graduated 11 members of the Ford family in three generations, and brothers Tom and Jim (’54) are grateful. “My Darlington years go back to before I entered school,” said Jim Ford. “While in grammar school, I went to Darlington Day Camp and learned to swim in the lake. I’ll never forget the thrill of passing that first swimming test.”
Michelle Denney Worley (’74), the School’s first female graduate after the merge of Thornwood and Darlington, will never forget graduation day. “I remember we were in the Darlington Chapel and I was already on the stage, along with the rest of the chorus. We were to sing a couple of songs after the presentation of diplomas and then lead everyone in singing the Darlington alma mater,” she said. “Mr. Gordon Bondurant and Dr. Charles Hawkins presented my diploma to me. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had touched the boundless heights I had only sung about in the Thornwood alma mater, and now I was moving forward ‘to conquer and prevail’ (words from the Darlington alma mater).”
Chairman of the Board of Trustees Roby Robinson (’58) calls his four years at Darlington the most meaningful years of his life. “The whole experience was the cornerstone for whatever values that I have today and the cornerstone for whatever I may have accomplished in my life,” he said.
Chris Jefts (’84) agreed. “Many of the ‘life lessons’ that I have carried with me actually began taking root more than 25 years ago,” he said. “Coach Jim Van Es was an educator by example in the disciplines of perseverance, teamwork and unfaltering loyalty. His halftime ‘Never Stop Dreaming’ speech that he delivered to his players, no matter what the scoreboard might have read at the buzzer, is still an influence in my life today.”
Returning to both the Darlington and Thornwood campuses is often thrilling for its alumni. Bill Elfrink, one of two 1939 alumni who made it back for this year’s reunion, said it was like coming home after a long absence. Thom Young (’74) said his heart rate went up with a sense of excitement.
“Since graduating in 1974, I have experienced more than I ever thought possible. Darlington started me on this trip, giving me all the tools to deal with it, so when I return to Darlington School, it is with a deep feeling of gratitude and debt,” said Young.
Anne Morgan Sisley (’71T) and Ansley Briley Saville (’69T) feel the same about Thornwood.
“I love returning to the campus,” said Sisley. “There is still enough of the stately ‘old school’ in place to rekindle the fond memories of the people and events which made up those magical six years.”
Saville’s son, Bert, had classes in what had once been Thornwood’s lunchroom. “Seeing the ‘little people’ running all over the campus was an odd experience, but once to which I soon adjusted. It really gave a new life to Thornwood, and watching it change over the years makes it seem as if my time there was a dream,” she said.
Some alumni loved the School so much they came back years later to start a career.
Sam Moss (’63), associate headmaster and dean of college guidance, returned to Darlington in 1982 and has been here ever since. “It was a chance to come to a school I loved as a student and to follow in the footsteps of my great mentor and friend Doc Regester, who held this title before me,” said Moss. “I am proud of the number of alumni (boys, girls, day and boarding) who choose to come back. It says something marvelous about the School.”
Marisa Ortega (’85), English and drama teacher said she feels fortunate that her children are growing up at Darlington. “I was a student here, came back after college and have been teaching here, got married in the Chapel and am now raising a family here,” she said. “It’s a wonderful place to raise children because the teachers are our friends, the students are our babysitters ... We’re just a big family in this beautiful place.”
And as Darlington approaches the beginning of its second century, many feel that its greatest strength has always lain in the loyalty of its faculty members and their commitment to the students.
“Bruce Burch was the most inspiring teacher I had during my year at Darlington. I have never seen, even in my German school, such a teacher who was just fascinated in every single period by the material he was teaching us,” said Dr. Britta Stern (’94). “He fought the Civil War in front of the desk. You couldn’t distract him, and that was what fascinated me.”
Wade Brannon (’79) found a mentor in George Awsumb, who continues to teach AP Humanities and Cinema at the Upper School. “I was a bit misguided when I arrived as a ninth grader. Mr. Awsumb treated me like an adult and very subtly coaxed me into growing up and accepting responsibility for my actions,” he said. “In addition to being a great adviser who was always there when I needed him, but not oppressively so, he was a great teacher.”
Steve Spinks (’87) credits David Walker, former Physics and Chemistry teacher, with making complex subjects relevant and helping him develop outside of the classroom. “He came by my dorm room one night and asked me and my roommate, ‘What do you know with absolute certainty? I’ll be back tomorrow, and if
you can tell me,
I’ll release you from your study hall duties,’” recalled Spinks. “He came back night after night and tore apart every answer we came up with. The answer, which we eventually figured out, was that we only know with certainty that we exist. I learned later that this was Descartes’ riddle, to which he came up with the answer ‘I think; therefore, I am.’”
“The Centennial is an extraordinary milestone for Darlington,” said Jim Hendrix, interim president.
