NewsUpper SchoolFaculty/Staff
McCallie Urges Graduates to Pursue the Power of Persistence
Jun 1, 2000 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Jim McCallie, Darlington’s president emeritus, told graduating seniors three stories emphasizing honor, integrity, loyalty, and the “power of persistence” in his commencement address and Darlington swan song May 20.
McCallie, who is officially retiring on June 30 after 21 years of service to Darlington, described an experience early in his career in which he coached McCallie School’s soccer team against a Darlington team led by Gordon Neville, now dean of students. In a very close game, tied 1-1 with the clock winding down, Darlington scored the apparent winning goal and Tiger fans “erupted in a pandemonium of cheers,” McCallie said. But Neville rushed onto the field, shouting, “No goal, no goal,” for “time had apparently expired before the winning shot and the young time keeper, so engrossed with the game, had failed to notice.”
McCallie School went on to win the game in overtime, but no one celebrated on the bus back to Chattanooga, McCallie told the Class of 2000. When one of the McCallie players broke the silence, he said, “Wasn’t that something that the Darlington coach did!” Honor Above Everything, Darlington’s motto, had made an impact on McCallie School as well as Darlington players.
In his second story, McCallie told of his adventures on “possibly the worst ship in the history of the U.S. Navy, the mothballed Flying Scud.” After spoiling $1 million of fresh food when the ship lost power for three weeks at sea, “the same core of determined and persistent officers...set modern transfer-at-sea records,” demonstrating that sheer will power can turn around even the worst of situations.
The third story illusrated the power of persistence within the Campaign for Darlington, which began in 1993 and will conclude June 30. The campaign, responsible for (among other things) the renovations of four historic campus buildings and the construction of a new athletic center, had an ambitious price tag, $43 million, four times that of the last capital campaign. Despite the loss of key personnel and the death of the school’s campaign consultant, the Board of Trustees, alumni, parents, and grandparents persisted, and gave freely of their time and wealth to benefit the school.
As of May 19, the Campaign for Darlington has reached its goal, McCallie reported: $43,086,314 has been raised toward the $43 million goal. During the course of the campaign, Darlington has also raised $1.1 million for Lower School and Thornwood projects and has achieved $6.2 million in planned gift commitments, bringing the total gift commitments to the school to over $50 million.
“Jim McCallie knows that there’s no end to what you can accomplish in this life if you don’t care about getting the credit for it,” Darlington President David Hicks said. “Persistent describes Jim to a T.”
McCallie, who is officially retiring on June 30 after 21 years of service to Darlington, described an experience early in his career in which he coached McCallie School’s soccer team against a Darlington team led by Gordon Neville, now dean of students. In a very close game, tied 1-1 with the clock winding down, Darlington scored the apparent winning goal and Tiger fans “erupted in a pandemonium of cheers,” McCallie said. But Neville rushed onto the field, shouting, “No goal, no goal,” for “time had apparently expired before the winning shot and the young time keeper, so engrossed with the game, had failed to notice.”
McCallie School went on to win the game in overtime, but no one celebrated on the bus back to Chattanooga, McCallie told the Class of 2000. When one of the McCallie players broke the silence, he said, “Wasn’t that something that the Darlington coach did!” Honor Above Everything, Darlington’s motto, had made an impact on McCallie School as well as Darlington players.
In his second story, McCallie told of his adventures on “possibly the worst ship in the history of the U.S. Navy, the mothballed Flying Scud.” After spoiling $1 million of fresh food when the ship lost power for three weeks at sea, “the same core of determined and persistent officers...set modern transfer-at-sea records,” demonstrating that sheer will power can turn around even the worst of situations.
The third story illusrated the power of persistence within the Campaign for Darlington, which began in 1993 and will conclude June 30. The campaign, responsible for (among other things) the renovations of four historic campus buildings and the construction of a new athletic center, had an ambitious price tag, $43 million, four times that of the last capital campaign. Despite the loss of key personnel and the death of the school’s campaign consultant, the Board of Trustees, alumni, parents, and grandparents persisted, and gave freely of their time and wealth to benefit the school.
As of May 19, the Campaign for Darlington has reached its goal, McCallie reported: $43,086,314 has been raised toward the $43 million goal. During the course of the campaign, Darlington has also raised $1.1 million for Lower School and Thornwood projects and has achieved $6.2 million in planned gift commitments, bringing the total gift commitments to the school to over $50 million.
“Jim McCallie knows that there’s no end to what you can accomplish in this life if you don’t care about getting the credit for it,” Darlington President David Hicks said. “Persistent describes Jim to a T.”
