WT ... On the Road
… to Washington, D.C., May 2010
Gaylen Westfall visited with
local alumnae at lunches and at an informal happy hour at Heritage India
Restaurant in Dupont Cirlce. In addition, Cynthia Rosenburg Field ’59, met with
Gaylen to discuss Winchester Thurston’s fall Eighth Grade Trip to Washington,
D.C. Cynthia is an Architectural Historian Emerita of the Smithsonian
Institution and Founding Trustee of the National Building Museum.
... to San Francisco, February 26, 2010
Twenty alumnae and friends of WT met at Orson Restaurant in
San Francisco for a Friday evening reception. Alums from the Class of 1946
through 2000, a former Head of School, a former Trustee, and a former Director
of Development were there with spouses and friends to hear Gary Niels, Head of
School, give an update on WT.
Gary came directly from the annual NAIS conference where he
made a presentation on WT’s City as Our Campus program. Winchester
Thurston was recognized last year with a Leadership Grant from the Edward E.
Ford Foundation, one of four schools nation-wide (along with Westminster
School, Winward School, and Punahou School) to receive this prestigious
award.
In addition, Gaylen Westfall enjoyed meeting alumnae,
Edie Hommel Cowan ’60 and Beth Morrow Katz ’81, for lunch in beautiful Marin on
February 25, 2010.
... to Manchester-by-the-Sea, October 4, 2009
A bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean was the fantastic setting of our most recent WT regional event. Kathy Zillweger Putnam ’71 and her husband, George, hosted a Brunch by the Sea on Sunday, October 4, in their lovely home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.
More than 20 alumnae and friends of WT gathered around a hearth glowing with a cheerful fire, to share Winchester Thurston memories. Elizabeth Black ’45 can still vividly recall the day a radio was wheeled into her classroom so that she and her classmates could hear President Roosevelt announce that the United States was at war. Mouse McDowell Lofberg ’67 remembers a sorrowful gathering of her classmates upon hearing that President Kennedy had been shot. Kathy Zillweger Putnam’71 still gets emotional when she hears the hymn from graduation sung at church each Sunday.
Among those attending was former trustee Put McDowell, father of four alums, Mouse ’67, Lucy ’68, Barbara ’69, and Martha ’73. Head of School Gary Niels shared a fascinating story about Put and WT history: McDowell was President of WT’s board of trustees during a very difficult time in the 1960’s, during which his foresight and leadership ensured that WT was able to preserve the land upon which the new Upper School was later built in 2006. After moving the school from Fifth Avenue to Morewood Avenue, WT faced financial challenges that tempted some to sell a parcel of land at Bayard Street and Morewood Avenue. McDowell knew that this short-term solution could be a long-term mistake, and requested a loan from Mr. Henry Hillman. Hillman agreed to the loan and later forgave it, thus securing the future of WT. Niels also recognized Judith Getty Treadwell ’59 whose father, Bill Getty, served as President of the board and personally supervised the construction of the new building in 1962.
While the group shared an array of stories and memories, it was clear Winchester Thurston has a special place in people’s hearts and minds. Gary Niels reported news and highlights from the new school year and ended by thanking Kathy and George with a special gift of appreciation.
... to New York, May 14, 2009
PACEWILDENSTEIN on 57
th Street was the venue. The whimsical, surprising work of sculptor Tim Hawkinson was the delightful backdrop for WT's second "On the Road" evening this spring.
Along with Head of School Gary Niels, WT trustee Rob Glimcher and his wife Megan, parents of Layne '17 and Brock '20, hosted this New York City reception in style.
WT was thrilled to welcome more than 34 graduates, parents, and friends of Winchester Thurston to the reception and gallery presentation. Hawkinson's work made for lively conversation. For more information on the gallery you can go to www.pacewildenstein.com.
Guests moved from the famed motorcycle made of feathers, to the relief photos adorned with broken glasses, to the dinosaur sculpted from individual rowers. Very cool!
In their welcoming remarks, the Glimchers talked about how thankful they are to be part of the WT community and how important it is for the community to come together to celebrate its successes and support its future.
Niels, took center stage for a short time to share some of the school's recent accomplishments, including being named "Parents' Choice" among private schools in Pennsylvania, but most exciting was the news that Winchester Thurston has been named one of the 2009 recipients of the E.E. Ford Leadership Grant of $250,000 in support of WT's unique "City As Our Campus" initiative, through which faculty members form educational partnerships to develop unparalleled experiential learning programs with the tremendous resources that surround our school, including Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Pittsburgh Public Theater, The Pittsburgh Zoo, University of Pittsburgh, The Carnegie, and more!
Gallery owner Marc Glimcher gave guests a presentation about the exciting, work of Tim Hawkinson.
It was a great evening full of lively discussion, and reminiscing about WT of the past and enjoying learning more about WT of the Future!
... to Washington D.C., May 7 2009
On a lovely May evening in Washington, DC, WT alumna Connie Smith Franklin '51 and Head of School Gary Niels welcomed more than 25 graduates, parents, and friends of Winchester Thurston to the Army and Navy Club for a reception. The alumnae/i assembled spanned many decades, careers, and time periods spent at WT.
Franklin and her husband, Major General Joseph Franklin, retired Commandant of West Point and author of the book Building Leaders the West Point Way, graciously offered to host this reception after a visit to WT last fall, during which WT students impressed and delighted them. The Franklins wanted to share their joy and pride with the WT community in the greater Washington, DC area. Read more about their visit to WT ...
Niels shared some of the school's recent accomplishments, including being named "Parents' Choice" among private schools in Pennsylvania, based on parent testimonials and quality ratings through Great Schools.com, an initiative of Great Schools and Business Week magazine. Niels also updated the group on WT's unique "City As Our Campus" initiative, through which faculty members form educational partnerships to develop unparalleled experiential learning programs with the tremendous resources that surround our school, including Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Pittsburgh Public Theater, The Pittsburgh Zoo, University of Pittsburgh, The Carnegie, and more!
Those assembled were proud of their alma mater's accomplishments and accolades and felt the school's credo, "Think also of the comfort and rights of others," was still a prominent focal point of students, faculty and staff.
