Chase House—celebrating community

The dedication of Chase House on Friday, May 5, brought to light a strongly held belief for 14th Head of School Barbara Landis Chase: Excellence at Andover must not be exclusive to the academic program; it must permeate the entire experience. Through residential life and “education of the whole student,” Chase sought to complete that paradigm. The naming of a residence hall in her honor recognizes 18 years of leadership and her unyielding dedication to this ideal.

Chase was touched by the outpouring of support from those who filled the Underwood Room for the celebration, including former deans, faculty emeriti, and students from the Chase era. She was especially excited to tour the building earlier in the day and meet the residents of Chase House—29 girls from more than a dozen different states and countries, along with a skilled and enthusiastic residential life team. “It’s the people who live there who endow it with character and life,” she said. “The inaugural class of Chase House: together, you have made a home away from home, learning from and with one another.”

Head of School John Palfrey thanked a number of people who made the project possible, including teams in OPP, OAR, and residential life. He also recognized, in particular, the key donors to the project: Mr. and Mrs. Kyoo Wan Cho P’14; Trustee Chien Lee ’71; Trustee Scott Mead ’73, P’18; Mr. and Mrs. Richard Penley ’62, P’01; Trustee Emeritus Oscar Tang ’56; and the anonymous lead donor.

He quoted Chase’s former colleagues and trustees, who witnessed firsthand her commitment to social equity and belief in the potential of each individual to contribute to the strength of the community—a trait that increasingly has drawn students to Andover. Palfrey noted that this year, among those deciding factors, “strength of community” ranked second only to academic excellence. “These are changes that happen over time because of a commitment to all of the things that you stood for.”

In closing, Palfrey cited the 1994 Strategic Plan in which Chase made a commitment to renovate every dorm on campus and build an additional home for a house counselor. With the renovation of Bancroft Hall planned this year, Andover will realize that vision. “Barbara, I can think of no more fitting way for you to be remembered, in perpetuity, than to have your name on a dorm. It is a commitment in bricks and mortar in the form of these renovations, and all the things you’ve done to strengthen this community over a generation. We thank you and we honor you.”