PETER BECKER '95 ASSUMES

HEAD OF SCHOOL POST

It’s official: Peter Becker ’95 has assumed the post of Head of School at Taft. Peter arrived on campus on July 1, eager to hit the ground running and reacquaint himself with the community that helped shape his personal, professional, and educational philosophies.

Hear a special message from Peter to alumni here, or by clicking on the video below.

And hear more from Peter (and Amy Julia '94!) during a video Q & A with Taft's 2023-24 School Mons, here or by clicking the video below.

PAM AND WILLY MACMULLEN '78 HONORED WITH 2023

HORACE DUTTON TAFT ALUMNI MEDAL

HDT Alumni Medal Committee Chair John Merrow '59 presented the Medal to Willy and Pam at the Alumni Weekend Celebration of Service

In recognition of their combined 68 years of service to Taft, its students, alumni, faculty, staff, families, and community, Willy ’78 and Pam MacMullen P’14,16 were honored with the 2023 Horace Dutton Taft Alumni Medal. The Medal is given each year to a person (or persons) whose life work best reflects the essence of the Taft School motto: Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret; Not to be served, but to serve.

"In most years the debate about the many outstanding candidates goes on for hours and involves multiple rounds of voting by secret ballot,” notes 2023 Horace Dutton Taft Alumni Medal Committee Chair John Merrow II ’59. “This year there was no debate and only one round of voting: unanimous and by acclamation for Pam and Willy. No one is more deserving."

JEFF WALSH '93 ELECTED

ALUMNI TRUSTEE

Taft alumni have elected Jeffrey M. Walsh '93 to serve as the newest member of the school’s Board of Trustees. 

A career lawyer and community volunteer, the Taft School motto has guided Jeff in both his professional and personal endeavors throughout his life.

A CELEBRATION TO REMEMBER

Alumni Weekend 2023 was one to remember! While classes with graduation years ending in 3s and 8s gathered in large numbers to celebrate their milestone reunions, many other alumnae/i made their way back to campus to honor the MacMullens during a Celebration of Service, take part in the dedications of MacMullen Field and the Lu Stone Baseball Seat, play some golf, and enjoy meta-mini girl’s basketball, volleyball, and golf reunions. The sun shone on morning yoga, the traditional alumni parade, and the co-ed soccer game, while alums fanned out across campus to engage with fellow Tafties during an LGBTQIA+ alumni/ae reception, a non ut sibi opportunity in the Choral Room, and affinity spaces for alumni/ae of color. As always, we did our best to capture many of the weekend’s best moments. You can see them all in our Alumni Weekend galleries.

Save the Date!

We'll do it all again next year, so mark your calendars:

May 10-11, 2024

TAFT ON THE ROAD: SUMMER 2023

ON CAMPUS

Taft Athletics:

Founders League and National Champs!

It was a big spring for Taft Athletics, on campus and in the alumni community.

Track and Field team member Maxine Maag ’24 took home the individual Founders League title in the pole vault, while our Boys’ Tennis, Girls’ Golf, and Boys' Lacrosse teams also claimed Founders League titles. Along the way, Boys’ Tennis notched a 10-3 record, with Keyon’Dre Clarke ’24 winning the individual league championship at SNETL. Girls' Golf finished the season with a remarkable 15–0 record, claiming the league title by more than 30 strokes. Boys’ Lacrosse closed out the season with a 16-2 record, ultimately topping Loomis 14-8 for the league title. 

Also of note, Girls' Lacrosse ended their season with an overall record of 13–4 and a berth in the Founders League championship game, where they fought hard but fell to Hotchkiss, 16–13.

On the alumni front, congrats to Pat ’19 and Chris Kavanagh ’21, and Jeffery ’21 and Thomas Ricciardelli ’22, who helped lead the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the Division I Men's Lacrosse National Championship, defeating Duke by a score of 13–9.

GO BIG RED!

Commencement

Headmaster Emeritus Lance Odden delivered just one of the many incredibly inspiring addresses enjoyed by students, families, faculty, and staff during Commencement exercises this year. You can watch all of the speeches, including Willy MacMullen's last as head of school, and the full Commencement ceremony, here.

Taft Theater Honored

Taft students earned seven Halo Award nominations for their work on stage and in the wings. Sabrina Moffa ’24 earned top honors at the 2023 Halo Awards, taking home the prize for her role as Trix the Aviatrix in Taft’s fall production of The Drowsy Chaperone. 

Read more...

Peter Frew '75 Celebrated

Peter Frew '75 was named the 2023 Archibald A. Smith III award winner — an award given to a coach for lifetime achievement and commitment to the Founders League ideals of educational excellence, sportsmanship, and outstanding competition.

Read more...

Willy MacMullen '78 and Lance Odden, Taft’s fourth and fifth school heads on Commencement Day, courtesy of Ryan Shannon '01.