I want to acknowledge the classes of 1961-1963. You were those brave young people who showed up when Charles Merrill opened the doors fifty years ago last month (we had an 8th grade then). Thank you. Thank you for coming back. Please stand.
The biography of Commonwealth, if written, would be a tapestry of stories of the various people who have given their talent and energy to the School.
We are grateful to Mr. Merrill for his vision and commitment. The school today, and its leadership, stands on the shoulders of those who came before. After Mr. Merrill’s departure and the tenure of Jay Featherstone, Charlie Chatfield guided the school steadily through his seven years as head. I arrived as a young teacher during his tenure, and felt grateful for the unstinting patience and support he showed his faculty, for his humor, and his readiness to let this young teacher take on new responsibilities and grow.
Judith Keenan headed Commonwealth for 10 years, from 1990-2000. Many doubted that the school could build its institutional strength without sacrificing its intellectual spirit, and some questioned whether academic rigor and commitment to serving students of all backgrounds were reconcilable aims. She proved both of these to be false dilemmas. And in a couple of tough, but necessary battles, Judith signaled to all her conviction that a school that does not put the well being of all of its students first is not worth its salt. We would not be here celebrating tonight had she not, with the help of then Board Chair Polly Chatfield, seen Commonwealth through its transition from impetuous youth to responsible adult, and for that, Judith, we are deeply grateful.
We are also grateful to all of those parents, past parents, alumni/ae, and friends who have given their time, energy, and support as trustees. Casie deRham chaired the Board for thirty years, followed by Jerry Gillerman, Polly Chatfield, Bill Sherden, and now, Karen Firestone ’73, our first alumna Board Chair. I cannot overstate how fortunate the school is to have parents and alumni and alumnae who, like Karen, remain strongly committed to the school.
At the heart of this tapestry lie the teachers. I often say that the secret of our work lies in the relationships between teachers and students: kids will work hard for teachers who like them and whom they like, and through that effort they can discover the delight of the subject, of the inquiry and of the work. But that’s only part of the secret. The other part is having a collection of people as extraordinary as our former teachers, as the veteran faculty and staffers whom we will honor shortly, and as their younger colleagues—both those closing in on their 25th year, and those for whom that milestone is still over the horizon.
I’d like to acknowledge two of those people here tonight who, because of years of service and the great work they did, would figure prominently in any history of Commonwealth’s first 50 years.
Ellen Cole for thirty-five years was de facto assistant head, as well as the emotional center of the school. Her wit and laughter lit up the front office, her shrewd intelligence and peerless editing skills made so many of us sound like better writers than in fact we were, and her loyalty to students and colleagues won her the respect and love of all. Thank you Ellen.
And Dane Morgan. Before we systematically tracked science to accommodate the range of students we taught, Dane was a one-man math/science support team, adapting courses, tutoring, and working tirelessly to help the strugglers grasp—and catch his enthusiasm for—physics, chemistry, educational psychology, or whatever else he taught. He also stimulated and roused with his energy and intellect the kids who liked to play fast pitch. Dane gave heart and soul to Commonwealth for over 35 years, and we owe him a lifetime’s gratitude.
In addition to Ellen and Dane, the tapestry includes the stories of Bill Barclay, Seymour Alden, John Hughes, Charles Wadsworth, Polly and Charlie Chatfield, Paul Jefferson, Janet McGhee, Leland Giovanelli, Bruce Molay [‘71], Richard Robinson, Claire Hoult, Mallory Rome, many others. Forgive me, those of you whom I did not mention.
And, in addition to those whom you will soon hear celebrated, we are blessed today to have teachers like Farhad Riahi, and people like Rebecca Jackman, Catherine Brewster, Mara Dale, David Hodgkins, Donald Conolly, Barbara Grant, and others so many of whom will be warmly remembered years hence around tables at gatherings like this.
Would all Commonwealth teachers, past and present, please stand. Thank you.
Before I move on, I also want to offer a few particular thanks to those who helped make possible tonight’s celebration. We are deeply grateful to the Committee that organized this event, whose names are in your program. All worked incredibly hard, but I would especially single out Marie Oedel, who, with help from Patsy Sharaf, put into the creation of tonight’s magnificent archival exhibit more time and effort that any school has a right to expect from any volunteer. I’ll add that our materials are much more secure and better organized for having passed through the hands of a master. Thank you Marie.
Thanks, also, to the Parents’ Committee and the Alumni/ae Association for their help setting up last night’s reunions, for generating the incredible support we see tonight, and helping to run this operation. I’ll call out Adam Leffert. Check out the Alumni Web he put together—if you haven’t already—which enables alumni/ae to uncover the connections and networks that tie us all together.
Thanks to students who helped set up, who helped with this weekend’s activities, and to Stratton Coffman ’10 for his film about the School.
I want to thank all who sponsored tonight’s event and especially the patrons—without your support we’d be eating pizza in the school gym…in shifts! Let me add to the list Amy Merrill and Mary Paci, whose patronage we were unable to include in your programs.
I want to thank our business manager, Diane Morris, our new communications director, Tristan Davies, ’83, and our assistant director of the Annual Fund Laura Spiro, who brought all hands to the deck these past few weeks to keep this enterprise afloat and on course.
And last, we all owe an incredible debt of gratitude to Janetta Stringfellow. As you heard, three years ago I said to her, “we really should have an event to celebrate Commonwealth’s 50th.” She has gathered and marshaled volunteers; outlined projects; and lined up designers, sound people, and caterers. She has shown incredible patience in responding to queries and emails that have ranged from the gracious to the cranky to the bizarre. She has shown grace and patience, and done a pretty good job satisfying all of you who asked to sit next to someone you like tonight. She has kept a sense of humor in the face of an avalanche of RSVPs—the timely ones and the late ones (alas for Commonwealth and deadlines); she has kept her head managing wait lists, table arrangements (until 2 am last night), and flowers—even flowers! How many of you either called or emailed Janetta about this party and got a response—hands up? How many did so in the last 72 hours. I'd like to speak to you. Janetta, you’re incredible. Thank you.
When I became Headmaster in 2000, David Gleason, ’79, told me that I needed an elevator speech: an argument, brief enough for an elevator ride, about the need for a school like Commonwealth. Here’s mine:
We need schools: • that will teach young people to read, write, and think clearly; • where they discover the satisfaction that comes when, in the midst hard work, they accomplish more than they had believed possible, so learn to distrust the limits they set to their own capacities; • where students learn that the arts are not extras, because every life should be informed by a love of beauty and creative expression; • where students are connected in real and substantive ways with life beyond the Walled Garden, and take with them a commitment to serve and improve their communities and the world; and • that will prepare young people from all backgrounds to lead in their chosen fields with intelligence, integrity, and a commitment to equity.
Is Commonwealth such a school? Many who have looked think so.
With over 1/3 of our students receiving financial aid, our commitment to scholarship stands right at the top of area independent schools—and the only one that edges us out got a 300-year head start.
The Malone Family Foundation, when a few years ago it awarded the school $2 million for endowment, wrote, “Commonwealth has … a strong headmaster; a highly intellectual faculty who would be revered at nearby universities; students who are thrilled to be there, who have a ravenous thirst for knowledge and the required ‘street smarts’ to navigate the city of Boston as part of their curriculum.”
Last February Bowdoin’s Dean of Admissions told our Board that Commonwealth students write some of the best essays they read, adding, “There are very few schools in the country where the life of the mind is treasured as it is at Commonwealth.”
I hope you’ll agree that we need at least one school like Commonwealth.
Slow elevator, but we’ve reached our floor.
And we'll now turn to the film. Eric Stange, '71, who made this film, can't be here tonight, because he is in Tokyo filming, I understand, some movie about a Nobel laureate, but Ethan Goldhammer, the editor—and brother of Zach '10 and son of Stephanie Engel '70—is here. Tahnk you Ethan for all your work. Andnow let's enjoy "Commonwealth at 50." Thank you very much.
The biography of Commonwealth, if written, would be a tapestry of stories of the various people who have given their talent and energy to the School.
Ellen Cole for thirty-five years was de facto assistant head, as well as the emotional center of the school. Her wit and laughter lit up the front office, her shrewd intelligence and peerless editing skills made so many of us sound like better writers than in fact we were, and her loyalty to students and colleagues won her the respect and love of all. Thank you Ellen.