Dinner with honors

Joined by faculty, staff, and families in the Smith Center, Dean of Faculty Patrick Farrell, P’08 awarded the following foundations and instructorships:

• Frederick W. Beinecke Foundation #1—David Fox, Instructor in English and Art History
• Class of 1929 Foundation—Erin Strong, Instructor in Theatre and Dance
• William M. Newman Teaching Foundation—Thayer Zaeder ’83, Instructor in Art
• Donald and Beverley Jones Instructorship—Marisela Ramos, Instructor in History and Social Science
• Francis C. Robertson Bicentennial Instructorship—Abbey Siegfried, Instructor in Music

Trustee Emeritus Stephen Sherrill ’71, P’05, ’07, ’10, was honored for his 18 years of service on board. Head of School John Palfrey P’21, Board President Peter Currie ’74, P’03, and Trustee Emeritus William Lewis ’74 each offered a personal tribute to Sherrill, whose leadership and generosity have spanned the campus, from the boardroom to the Addison Gallery to the athletic fields and beyond. “You are among the most generous supporters of Andover in the school’s history, an extremely effective trustee, and an unbelievably supportive friend…” said Palfrey, citing Addison Director Judith Dolkart, Athletic Director Leon Modeste, classroom teachers, and students who have been the beneficiaries of his wisdom and support.

Choosing to recognize others as the spotlight shined his way, Sherrill, with his wife Kitty, announced a special tribute to four coaches who were instrumental to the athletic success of their children. Modeste, along with Kate Dolan, P’16, Martha Fenton ’83, P’16, and Lisa Joel will be honored with plaques along the entrance to Phelps Stadium.

Rich Intellectual Exchange

Two joint sessions of the Board of Trustees and Andover Development Board involved topics with deep and complex histories in academia.

“Why Do the Liberal Arts Still Matter?”

Headlining a Friday luncheon, Tamar Gendler ’83, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at Yale, made an impassioned case for the liberal arts. Her talk sparked robust table conversations that also included members of the Academic Council and Senior Administrative Council. Citing the founding documents of Yale, Harvard, and Andover, among others, and invoking the wisdom of Plato and the ideas of Steve Jobs, Gendler charted the evolution of a liberal education. She examined challenges to the model over centuries and explained why she thinks discourse on this topic is more important than ever. 

“Engaged Citizenship Through Inquiry and Discourse at Andover”

Citizenship, another topic of timeless importance, was on the breakfast docket Saturday morning. Head of School John Palfrey seeded the discussion by framing ideas offered in his new book Safe Spaces, Brave Spaces: Diversity and Free Expression in Education. Also sharing Andover’s approach to this year’s theme of citizenship, he asked participants to explore the topic in the context of how the school can best support youth from every quarter. Table conversations generated a range of perspectives on everything from intellectual debate in classrooms and casual conversations in dormitories, to micro-aggressions and ideas for how the campus community might advance this crucial area of Equity and Inclusion.