Honoring Eric Davis

by Farhad Riahi

Dear Friends of Commonwealth School, Mr. Merrill, alumnae and alumni, parents, students, and colleagues:

It is for me a daunting privilege to try to pay on our behalf this all-too short tribute to Eric Davis, who is arguably one of the most instrumental architects of Commonwealth School's reputation. Since the fall of 1990,  when I joined the Commonwealth faculty, I have enjoyed Eric's mentorship. Let me borrow a simile from one of his little masterpieces of critical prose that we call teacher's comments. To have him Eric as a colleague is like having a vintage Rolls Royce in the family garage: a powerful, reliable, elegant, and maintenance-free marvel. Yes, I love that man!

Good teachers are effective in the classroom because of their command of the subject matter. They serve as role models.
Excellent teachers not only serve in said capacity, they add new dimensions to the learning process and create a teaching environment where learning becomes an eagerly awaited challenge, a shared adventure. Excellent is then a befitting term when used to qualify Eric's performance as an instructor. Generations of students have cherished those moments when, with a glance full of apprehension and yet a shadow of daring, Eric brings himself to the point of speech. And then spoken or written, his savoir-dire and savoir-ecrire invariably surprise and delight. I have no doubt that all of us who have studied or worked with Eric and have succumbed to his charm concur that our hat is off to him. Thank you, Eric dear, for it all, for every bit of it. 

Next: Closing Remarks