JULY 2025 NEWSLETTER | VOLUME 8, ISSUE 4 | | |
SUMMER GREETINGS FROM
PETER BECKER '95
| | Taft's academic year may have ended, but there is still plenty of activity on campus during the summer! Click directly on the image for updates from Peter Becker '95, including an invitation for alums to join us in our all-school summer read, Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri, who will visit Taft in the fall. | | |
Rhinos Returned for Alumni Weekend 2025!
Alumni Weekend brought Rhinos back to campus to reminisce and celebrate—with reunion classes ending in 5s and 0s gathering for milestone moments, and many other alumni joining in the festivities. The Class of '75 celebrated their 50th Reunion with a formal induction into the Old Guard and a shared luncheon with the Class of '25—bridging generations and creating meaningful new connections. Saturday's Alumni Parade drew an enthusiastic crowd to Main Circle, and the All-Alumni Dinner Dance gave everyone a chance to mingle with friends old and new. Alumni enjoyed a wide range of activities throughout the weekend: open classes, student performances, athletic events, yoga, networking sessions, affinity gatherings, and a Non ut sibi service initiative. Collegium alumni honored Bruce Fifer's retirement with a musical celebration and reception; flutist Vanessa Holroyd '90 and friends performed in Walker Hall; and Eileen Mooney Lynch '96's artwork was featured in the Mark W. Potter Gallery. We were especially excited to welcome the Class of '20 for their 5th Reunion—their return to campus brought a special energy to the weekend.
You'll find highlights in the Alumni Weekend 2025 photo galleries, and a full recap will appear in the Fall 2025 Taft Bulletin, available in print and online at the end of August.
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Save the Date!
Mark your calendars and celebrate with us again next year:
May 8–9, 2026
Reunion gatherings for classes ending in
6 and 1
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Taft Welcomes New Trustees
Taft is pleased to announce three new appointments to the Board of Trustees. Please join us in welcoming Joyce Kwok '00, David Sim P'27, and Louis So P'27 to Taft's volunteer leadership community.
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Four Distinguished Leaders Named Trustees Emeriti
Taft is proud to announce the naming of four former trustees as Trustees Emeriti—Rod Moorhead III '62, P'97,'98 (Emeritus Memoriam), Grant Porter '69, P'00, John Vogelstein '52, P'80,'85, GP'16,'17,'20,'23, and Abra Wilkin P'92, GP'22—in recognition of their exceptional leadership, longstanding dedication, and transformative contributions to the school community. Through the newly established Board of Trustees Emeritus Program, the school celebrates individuals whose impact has shaped Taft’s trajectory and who continue to inspire its future.
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The Class of 1970 Live Our Motto Fund
Members of Taft's Class of 1970 were looking for ways to support the Taft community while connecting with current Taft students. The result is a fund rooted in the school motto—Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret; Not to be served but to serve—which strengthens their legacy while helping current Taft students build their own.
The Class of 1970 Live Our Motto Fund helps support student-led initiatives that reflect Taft’s mission and motto—to educate the whole student and encourage leadership, service, and meaningful engagement with community. The fund empowers students to design and manage projects, sharpen leadership and fiscal skills, and create lasting, positive change on campus and beyond. In its first full year, the fund awarded nearly $20,000 to 10 students and student groups working to effect change on campus and beyond. Click below to explore some of the ways Taft students are making a difference, supported by the generosity of alums.
| | SAVE THE DATE: UPCOMING EVENTS | | |
Martha's Vineyard Summer Reception
August 4, 2025, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Reconnect with the Taft community at a summer reception hosted by Tony '66 and Eve Guernsey P'95,'11, GP'22,'24,'26,'28. The address for the reception will be shared upon registration.
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Nantucket Summer Reception
August 5, 2025, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Join us for a summer reception at the Sankaty Golf Club hosted by MJ and Tom Dickson P'98,'03, GP'27 and Aaron '98 and Ross Millhiser P'27.
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Fishers Island Summer Reception
August 7, 2025, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of conversation and connection with fellow Tafties hosted by Allie Hanley GP'15,'16,'24,'27 and Ashton and Merrill Curtis P'27. The address for the reception will be shared upon registration.
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Promoting Mindful Use of Technology on Campus
Congratulations to Dr. Eileen Fenn Bouffard '98, director of teaching and learning, and Jeremy LaCasse, assistant head of school for student life, whose piece, "Device Policies as a Tool to Help Shape School Culture," was published in the spring edition of Independent School magazine. The magazine is produced by the National Association of Independent Schools; the spring edition was dedicated to exploring the many facets and influences of technology in schools.
Reflecting on the introduction of Taft's new cellphone use policy, Bouffard and LaCasse write, "We must empower [students] to ask what they want to do with this newfound understanding, time, and space. We need to help students learn to re-create the pre-digital types of interactions where they get to make decisions with reasonable downsides and learning opportunities." You can read their article by clicking below.
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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was a true tour de force—a masterpiece and a triumph for Taft’s spring theater program. We’ve collected some of the best moments for a slideshow; you can also access the full gallery of photos.
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Taft Theater Earns Top Honors
From Taft’s actors and tech crew to costumers and designers, the talent in our Theater Department was recognized with award nominations.
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Spring Dance Showcase
Taft dancers also took to the Bingham Auditorium stage for their final performance of the year. The Spring Dance Showcase featured exceptional performances and choreography by seniors in their Taft swan song, as well as complex, personal, and moving performances by exceptionally talented dancers and choreographers. View the photo gallery or watch the performance by clicking below.
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Tafties at the Met
Through the extraordinary generosity of Taft alumnus James Barton '60, Tafties traveled to The Metropolitan Opera House at New York's Lincoln Center in April for a magnificent staging of Guiseppe Verdi's Aida. Former faculty, members of Barton's family, and Taft alumni met the group during the event. Among the alumni in attendance was Christopher Browner '12, who, along with young Met performers, also visited campus at the start of the weekend to deliver a lecture on the renowned opera.
Special thanks to James Barton and Christopher Browner for once again (and so very graciously) opening the Met's doors and its magic to Taft students.
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Instrumental Music Program
Taft's Chamber Orchestra and Jazz Band were the headliners at an end of year musical extravaganza, "A Little Evening Music." We captured the sights for a slideshow, but borrowed the sound—"It Don't Mean a Thing"—from their concert in London earlier this year. You can also access the full "A Little Evening Music" performance by clicking below.
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Taft's 135th Commencement
Under blue skies and beside Potter's Pond, the Class of 2025 officially graduated during Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 25. The night before—Prize Night—was a time to celebrate their many outstanding achievements. Congratulations to all of the members of the Class of 2025, their families, friends, and supporters.
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Spring 2025 Season News
Boys’ golf ended the season with an overall record of 6–0–1, with an impressive showing in their tournaments, and rounded out the year by claiming the Founders League Championship. To explore the standout moments for all spring teams, please click on the links below. Go Big Red!
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