 Dear Torchbearers,
Everyday is Thanksgiving at Mercersburg.
Students and faculty have a lot to be grateful for: a respectful school
community with good friends, caring adults, a stimulating classroom
environment; parents and families who highly value education and
selflessly provide for an extraordinary boarding school experience;
resources for students and faculty provided by parents, alumni, and
friends, to optimize the learning environment; and a beautiful,
wholesome, campus located in an amazing natural environment that
inspires exploration.
Here are some thoughts from students who were asked what makes them thankful:
"At Mercersburg, I am thankful for the relationships that I have gained
with my friends, teachers and coaches. At no other place can you be in
class with a teacher, sit with them in the dining hall for lunch, and
then eat dinner at their house all in one day without even leaving the
campus. I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many people who care
and want to see me succeed. "
-Shaniqua ’09
“I am thankful for the great education that I am getting here; the
sports that I have the opportunity to play, such as golf, lacrosse, and
basketball; my friends; and for Mr. Cohen and the other wonderful
teachers. It’s great to be here at Mercersburg.”
-Dave ’10
On behalf of all of the students and the faculty, thank you for your
continuing support for Mercersburg. Throughout time, Mercersburg
alumni, parents, and friends have provided ongoing support through
gifts and the enduring values of the Mercersburg experience have
continued to be passed on from one generation to the next. Thank you
for carrying the torch…
Best wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving,
Mary K. Carrasco
Assistant Head of School for External Affairs
You’re invited to a Christmas Candlelight Service Reception
Please join Head of School Douglas Hale and other leaders in the
Mercersburg community of support for a dinner reception on Christmas
Candlelight Service Weekend. Attendees will include members of the
William Mann Irvine Society, Torchbearers, and the Marshall &
Irving Alliance.
Sunday, December 14
5:30 p.m.
Edwards Room, Keil Hall
Dinner Reception
Please reply promptly by December 5 to 800-588-2550 or rotzd@mercersburg.edu. This is a standing dinner reception, however some seating is available. Holiday attire is requested.
There will be two Christmas Candlelight Services in the Irvine Memorial
Chapel at 4 and 7:30 p.m. on December 14. If you would like to make a
contribution to the Chapel Maintenance Endowment Fund, please visit www.mercersburg.edu/giving or call 800-588-2550.
You
are the foundation of our community of support. Through your commitment
and generosity, leaders like you are an inspiration and example to
others.
Alumni recognized during Alumni Weekend
John Lawrence ’58, Alan Wein ’58, Jim Pfautz ’48, Andrew Ammerman ’68, Head of School Douglas Hale
The Alumni Council recognized John Lawrence ’58, Alan Wein ’58, Jim Pfautz ’48, and Andrew Ammerman ’68 during the Remembrance & Recognition Ceremony during Alumni Weekend in October.
Andrew R. Ammerman ’68 received The Alumni Council Service Award
for his loyalty and service to Mercersburg Academy. Ammerman is a
member of the Mercersburg Board of Regents, and Mercersburg recognized
him as a charter member of The McDowell Society in 2003. He and his
mother, Josephine, have endowed the annual Ammerman Family Lecture
Series, the annual Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award, and an annual
full scholarship at Mercersburg Academy.
Major General James C. Pfautz, USAF (Ret.) ’48 received the
Alumni Council Achievement Award for his achievement and service to the
country and to Mercersburg. Pfautz was graduated from the U.S. Military
Academy in West Point; he later worked as an assistant chief of staff
of intelligence at the Pentagon. He is the recipient of the Republic of
Vietnam Gallantry Cross, Legion of Merit and Oak Leaf Cluster, and the
Distinguished Service Medal. He has also served as a Mercersburg Class
Reunion Chair for his 25th and 40th reunions, as a member of the 60th
reunion committee, and on the Alumni Council.
Dr. John K. Lawrence ’58 and Dr. Alan J. Wein ’58 were
co-recipients of the Class of ’32 Award. The Mercersburg Academy Class
of 1932 established the annual Class of 1932 Distinguished Alumnus
Award to recognize former students who have distinguished themselves
regionally, nationally, or internationally by virtue of their
character, service, and achievement.
Lawrence was a Mercersburg Regent from 1990 to 1999; he has been an
Honorary Regent since that time. He has also been the director of Helio
Research, Inc. a nonprofit research organization and is currently a
Director of “A Noise Within,” a repertory theatre company in California.
Wein is a professor and chair of the Division of Urology at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He is also the Chief of
Urology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He has
authored or co-authored more than 830 articles, 20 books, and has more
than 50 multimedia presentations to his credit. As a Regent, he sits on the Admission-College Counseling, and Academic
Policy committees, thus having an important impact on the governance of
the school.
Check out some the Alumni Weekend photos on Mercersburg’s web site.
Do you have a Facebook account? If so, be sure to search for
“Mercersburg Alumni” and join the Facebook group. Here you can find
photos from Mercersburg events and upload your own photos.
Inaugural Fowle Scholar-in-Residence speaks
 Rev.
Paula Lawrence-Wehmiller, an educator, author, and consultant,
addressed the school community during a Chapel program November 7.
Lawrence-Wehmiller, a self-described “sojourner, story-teller, and
dream-bearer,” is Mercersburg’s first William C. Fowle
Scholar-in-Residence. Her visit was made possible by a gift from the
Edward E. Ford ’12 Foundation in memory of Mr. Fowle, the fourth
headmaster of Mercersburg (1961 to 1972).
An Episcopal priest, Lawrence-Wehmiller first spoke at Mercersburg in
1993. Prior to her talk, she spent three “listening days” on campus the
week before, learning about the school in a more in-depth manner. She
met with groups of students, dined at different tables in the dining
hall, and toured the campus.
During her chapel address entitled, "A Seat at the Welcome Table:
Including the Gifts of All Members of the Community,” she talked about
the importance of being inclusive of all people.
“To thrive in a school is to truly be able to live out who you are on
the inside… to give truth about our unseen selves to the world…For a
community to thrive, we must always stand ready to welcome the
stranger,” she said.
Lawrence-Wehmiller is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Bank Street College of Education in New York City. Her latest book, A Gathering of Gifts, was published in 2002.
Following her Chapel talk, Lawrence-Wehmiller met interested students
for lunch and further discussion in the Irvine Lecture Room.
Zander Hartung ’05 premiers documentary in Boston
Alumnus Zander Hartung ’05, an Emerson College senior and student in
the television and video program, did not plan to wait until his May
2009 graduation to hit the big screen. Instead, Zander, an executive
producer, premiered the feature-length documentary, Intrepid Descent, among Mercersburg alums and Boston’s art connoisseurs last month at the Hingham Public Library.
 Intrepid Descent
captures the classic backcountry skiing experience of Tuckerman Ravine
on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. The documentary explores the rich
history of the ravine, which has been home to triumph and tragedy since
the early 1920's. A present-day narrative takes viewers from the
daunting hike and climb up the Ravine to the exhilarating descent over
the lip, while interviews with experts, meteorologists, and rare
historical footage provide a broad and dynamic view of Tuckerman's. A
classic man-versus-nature story, Intrepid Descent pays homage both to
the mountain and to the individuals who dare to pursue their passions.
-thokkproductions.com
To learn more about the film, visit www.thokkproductions.com/films.
If you plan to be in Vermont or New Hampshire at the end of this month
or in March, respectively, be sure to catch a future screening of
Intrepid Descent:
Stowe Mountain Film Festival
Sunday, November 30, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at Charlie B's (at StoweFlake Resort and Spa). For more information, visit http://www.stowefilmfest.com/.
Appalachian Mountain Club Screening
The screening is on March 8, 2009 at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center in New Hampshire and sponsored by the AMC.
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What’s happening at the ‘Burg? |
11/21-12/1 – Thanksgiving vacation
12/1 – Community gathering
12/3 – Winter athletic competitions begin
12/6-7 – Community Chorus Concerts in Chapel
12/13 – Winter Ball with a Hollywood theme in the Edwards Room
12/14 - Christmas Candlelight Services and Dinner Reception
Mercersburg’s Full Calendar
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Torchbearers attended event with Baltimore Ravens President Dick Cass ’64 |
 Mercersburg
alumni, parents and friends were among those at Salisbury University
October 21 to hear Baltimore Ravens President Dick Cass '64 speak at
the school's Franklin P. Perdue School of Business Executive Leadership
Series. Cass offered "An Insider's View of the NFL" to a full house at
Salisbury's Holloway Hall, and then answered questions from the
audience.
Following his address, the Mercersburg contingent gathered for a
reception with Athletic Director Rick Hendrickson, who shared early
plans for facilities renovation and construction and his vision for
Blue Storm Athletics, while speaking with those in attendance about
their Mercersburg experience and what Mercersburg Athletics means to
them.
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Ted Meredith ’14 inducted into Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame |
James E. “Ted” Meredith ’14, one of Mercersburg’s extraordinary track Olympians was posthumously inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame as the 2008 “Inductee of Distinction.” Meredith won Olympic gold medals and set world records in 800 meters and the 4x400 relay at the 1912 Olympics. He was a member of the National and Pennsylvania Track & Field Halls of Fame. At the University of Pennsylvania in 1916 he set a world record in 440 and 880 yard sprints. He also set the world records at Media High School and participated in 1920 Olympics. Meredith later coached at Penn and the Cuban Czech National teams.
What impact did Mercersburg athletics have on your life?
We want to hear from you! Email your stories and memories about
Mercersburg athletics to newsletters@mercersburg.edu. Why are athletics
at Mercersburg important and what effects did they have on your life?
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Alumni & parents whose loyalty excels |
Mercersburg has a core group of donors who have truly answered a
personal calling to develop a culture of philanthropy at the school.
You are a part of that group, Torchbearers. The individuals
below recently shared the stories of why they give. Read them below,
and please tell us why you think giving to Mercersburg is important by
emailing newsletters@mercersburg.edu.
 Tom Morris ’44 — 61 consecutive years of giving to Mercersburg
“When I started to work is when I started to give back to Mercersburg.
It gave me the foundation for which I could go forward in my career, in
living, and in providing income for my family. My father had the
foresight to send me to Mercersburg so that I could go to Dartmouth. My
dad didn’t have enough money to pay the tuition, so he went to Dr.
Edwards and told him that, and Dr. Edwards said that maybe the school
could help. I will always remember that.
Sixty-one years seems like a long time, but I never look at it that
way. I took one year at a time. An education…[is] yours for a lifetime…
I’ve always thought that giving back was something I wanted to do every
year, even though I had a bad year in business or I took a cut in
salary…that didn’t deter me from giving back. It’s not the size of the
gift, but the fact that you’re giving back every year.”
 Ann Shabb Warner ’76 — 15 consecutive years of giving
“What Mercersburg provided me was so instrumental and valuable and was a major
part of my life in terms of who I am. I have always felt such loyalty to the school and I
only went one year. It made such a huge mark on my life. I feel honored that my kids are
there. We must make sure that Mercersburg continues so others can take advantage of all that Mercersburg has to offer.
“I was at a gathering recently where there were Mercersburg alums who
had stopped giving. I asked them, ‘How can you not give to
Mercersburg?’ I told them about how well the school has done, the
traditions, the support of the faculty, the diversity of the student
body. I told them they need to get back to campus to see the arts
center, the library, Irvine, so they can renew their enthusiasm. I feel
like it’s a perfect environment for my kids… and tell them that they
should look at it for their kids, too.”
Welcome, new Torchbearers!
Mercersburg would like to welcome a new group of more than 50 Torchbearers. Click here to learn who they are!
Now there are over 1,500 Torchbearers, the foundation of the
Mercersburg community of support. Without you, Mercersburg could not
provide financial aid to over 42% of the students, offer excellent
benefits to faculty and staff, and enhance the curriculum to provide an
unmatched educational experience. Thank you for making Mercersburg a
philanthropic priority in your life year after year.
If you have not contributed to this year’s Annual Fund, please visit www.mercersburg.edu/giving to offer your support today. Thank you.
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Correction to Report on Philanthropy |
Although the Alumni & Development Office made every effort to
ensure that the information contained in the FY08 Report on
Philanthropy was correct, some errors did occur. We’d like to take this
opportunity to correct those errors and to say thank you to the donors
and volunteers not included in the original publication.
Donors celebrating anniversary reunions this year who have donated to support Mercersburg every year since they graduated:
Hans Morefield ’88
Phonathon Volunteers:
Jennifer Barr ’99
Jason Bershatsky
Sol Gordon ’72
Mary Imler P’05, ’09
Kerry Marshall P’08, ’11
Amy Mohr
Zania Pearson ’89, P’08
Bill Rockey ’45
Mic Starr P’08, ’10
Mike Sweeney P’07
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