Biff

Lily (6), Kent (3)

Glen Cove, NY

2 years

East Marquand

William Sloane Coffin, Jr., then Chaplain at Yale, would preach from time to time at Sunday services in the Chapel. Afterwards, he frequently ate with us in East Marquand and it was quite a treat to be seated at his table.

Other memories include: singing in the Northfield Chapel, ski trips on Saturdays in winter, bishop's bread and peppermint ice cream.

I was Fire Captain in East Marquand and decided to make the first fire drill as real as possible. So, I didn't inform anyone before I pulled the alarm. Miss Prescott was REALLY ANNOYED, which was my intent all along (after that I checked with her first).

I chopped vegetables and scrubbed pots and pans after dinner for a while. Then, I polished the brass in East Marquand...over and over. It was better than bathroom cleaning.

After I failed the first semester of French I, my father convinced Elizabeth Dorchester, Junior Dean, to give me a second chance to succeed. I was moved to her class and was well behind the others. I had to report to her every afternoon for one-on-one tutoring. I managed to get a B for the second semester and fulfill language requirements in college and graduate school with pretty good grades. I was afraid of her at the time but came to realize that I owed her a great deal of thanks for all the time and effort she put in.

I also remember Mr. Raymond who encouraged me to sing even though everything I tried sounded like Happy Birthday. There was always good music and singing due to his tireless efforts.

Miss Vicki Freeman emptied at least 3 red pens on my first paper in her English class. By the time I got to college, I could write a 3-4 page paper on any topic in my sleep.

After graduation from college, headed to Washington DC as a Legislative Assistant with the American Institute of Architects. Earned a Masters degree in Government & Politics from University of Maryland and worked in congressional relations for an association of state education officials. I was lucky to be involved as major education policy reforms were taking place nationally.

For the past 20 years, I have worked at the Maryland State Archives and stay very busy as their Legislative Liaison during the annual General Assembly session. The rest of the year, I drive up and down the road to the family cottage on Lake Bomoseen in Vermont, and travel to far away places when possible.

Husband John still practices law in Annapolis and together we are dedicated to improving our golf games.

Our 3 grown sons are happy in their work and with their lives, are decent fellows and great fun to hang out with.

I learned to trust myself and realize that I was only limited by my own vision. The academic rigor and challenges of being away from family as a teen gave me a lot of confidence. I use the skill sets I learned at Northfield even today. I love traditions, embrace diversity, have a fairly well-developed social conscience, and try to learn new things every day.

Washington, DC and Annapolis, MD

Skidmore College, B.A., 1968
University of Maryland, M.A., 1973

P.L. 94-142, An Act of Congress, (with Erwin L. Levine), MacMillan Publishing Company, 1981

Talk me into it!

YES