The Campaign for Lake foresT aCademy

Update

Campaign Leadership

Campaign ResouRCes Committee (CRC)Catherine m. Waddell p’01, p’03, Chair

merrill J. ferguson ’72, p’10karl r. gedge ’69, p’01Lauren a. gorter p’06, p’09richard r. Jaros ’70Jeffrey B. keller ’87Jeffrey C. neal p’00, p’02robin g. Zafirovski p’04, p’05, p’09

Head of school John a. strudwick

Dean of external Relationsmarina s. krejci

marts & Lundy Consultantkatherine doub

paRents Campaign Committee (pCC)Lauren a. gorter p’06, p’09, Chair

susan d. Coburn p’07, p’09, p’13Julie m. kennedy p’08, p’11, p’13, p’15Cynthia W. yingling p’09, p’11robin g. Zafirovski p’04, p’05, p’09

oCtobeR 2011

Comprehensive Capital Campaign Contributions to DateCampaign dollars raised $32,578,630annual Charitable giving $11,652,963 (academy fund and gala from fiscal years 2005–2011)

totaL $44,231,593Campaign contributions received after September 20, 2011, will be recognized in future publications.

dear Lfa Community,Capital campaigns often seem like jigsaw puzzles: lots of interlocking pieces with partial pictures. While assembling, sometimes you get stuck and can’t seem to fit a single piece, and later you get on a roll, and every piece fits into place.

The Campaign for LFA is much like this. We’ve enjoyed tremendous success thanks to the support of some very committed and generous donors; yet, at times, we’ve stalled when the economy has thrown us a curveball. But through it all, we’ve maintained our focus on our strategic priorities. It has been thrilling to see people come together to make the magic happen. We’ve shared some of our successes with you in recent months, and any student at LFA can tell you how the new facilities and program enhancements have made a difference at the school. It is truly transformational.

In this issue of the Campaign Update you will read the story of our beloved Ray Bird and how he inspired the minds of many students. Testimonials from these students illustrate the impact Ray had on their lives at LFA and beyond. This is precisely the kind of teacher we want LFA to continue to attract and retain, teachers who make a transformational difference in the lives of young people.

As we see more of the puzzle pieces fitting into place in athletics, the arts, our residential program, and faculty housing, the picture is clearly improving. Next on the horizon is possibly the most exciting project of all and the one that truly speaks to our core mission to educate citizens of the world. The last piece of the puzzle will refocus us on ensuring that our academic program and the spaces in which we deliver it are upgraded to reflect our commitment to excellence in all we do. This initiative includes 1.) raising funds for our Endowment, which will ensure the financial sustainability of the school and enhance the academic program, and 2.) constructing a freestanding Science and Technology Center to support LFA’s dynamic and innovative curriculum in this field. At the risk of repeating ourselves, this will be transformational.

Our ambitions reflect tremendous optimism and belief in the continuous generosity of the Ferry Hall and Lake Forest Academy communities. In the coming months, you will hear more specific news about the final phase of the Campaign for LFA. Thank you so much for your support!

Jeffrey B. Keller ’87 John A. Strudwick P’13, P’15Chair, Board of Trustees Head of School

By RUTH KEySO

you can learn a lot about Ray Bird by looking at his books. I don’t mean the titles of the novels that fill his shelves; rather, what’s inside. When I cracked the cover of a hardback during a recent visit to his home

in New Jersey, I discovered ink annotations in every conceivable white space—inside cover, footer, margin. Ray doesn’t just read a book; he ravages it.

This passion for the written word influenced his teaching. For 36 years—12 at LFA—Ray taught stu-dents to love literature, to test the boundaries of their imaginative abilities, and to open their minds to ideas both novel and arcane. With a quick wit, abundant gestures, and a limitless supply of energy, Ray capti-vated his students and instilled a lifelong passion for reading, writing, and creative expression.

In honor of his distinguished career and in the spir-it of promoting exceptional teaching at the Acad-emy, the school established the Dr. Ray Bird Master Chair in English in 2011. This $2.5 million master chair—the first master chair in Academy history—will provide $125,000 in income annually to attract and retain strong English Department faculty members, to enhance academic rigor, to provide opportunities for faculty professional development, and to initiate greater faculty-student learning experiences. A formal announcement of the chair will be made at the school’s Cornerstone Society celebration on Nov. 5, 2011.

Nearly two dozen alumni, parents of alumni, and trustees of the Academy made leadership gifts to fund the Bird Chair. Cate Waddell P’01, P’03, chair of the capital campaign, and her husband, Rick, were among the top donors. Cate says their commitment stems from a desire to perpetuate the legacy of fine teaching at LFA and to honor an educator who touched the lives of many.

“Excellent teaching and excellent teachers are prob-ably the most important hallmarks of the combined Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall legacies,” says Cate. “They stand out as the reason Rick and I chose LFA for our boys. Supporting the Bird Chair is our way of ensuring that this legacy—which Ray Bird wholeheartedly embraced—continues at the Academy.”

BaCkground

Ray was raised in New Jersey and graduated from Phillips Academy Andover. He matriculated at Rol-lins College and later earned an MA in English from Middlebury College and a Ph.D. from Columbia Uni-versity. In 1971 he joined Rye Country Day School, where he spent 7 years as a teacher. He later taught at Columbia University and at The Spence School in New york City before taking a position as chair of the LFA English Department in 1995. His wife, Anita, joined the Admission Office as associate director.

Ray always wanted to become a teacher. For him, the career meant engaging young people in ideas and thoughts and getting them thinking “seriously, imagi-natively, and passionately” about life and literature from a young age.

“I felt it had taken me a long time—too long—to get thinking,” Ray says. “I wanted to be a catalyst for young people, to help them develop enthusiasm and passion for ideas, to get them engaged and enjoying the study of literature.”

At LFA, Ray taught English 9, 10, and AP English literature. He introduced students to Lolita and Fran-kenstein, Oedipus and Lear. To enhance the curricu-lum and extend the learning experience for students, Ray, along with his departmental colleagues, brought writers and poets to the Academy, luminaries such as Lawrence Thornton, Rick Moody, Stuart Dybeck, and Amy Hempel ’69. In the classroom he referred to his students as “scholars in training,” and engaged in serious dialogue about the power and purpose of lit-erature and how it could change their lives.

Since retiring in 2007, Ray has been working on a book about the art of teaching. At the heart of it are his thoughts about helping students realize their ca-pacity for intellectual and imaginative power, through the teaching of great literature. As Ray says, books can—and do—change lives. And so do teachers. The Academy salutes Dr. Bird for his years of devoted teaching, his passion for the profession, and his com-mitment to Lake Forest Academy. The school is hon-ored to announce the Dr. Ray Bird Master Chair in English, a symbol of the strength of LFA’s academic mission and the power of accomplishment.

(above) dr. ray Bird in the Lfa classroom, 2005

(left) anita and ray Bird, summer 2011

Lfa announces $2.5m Bird Chairmaster chair a first for school; honors former academy english teacher ray Bird

ontological detectives

epistemological

love of literature

passion“�Dr.�Bird�was�one�of�my�favorite�instructors�at�LFA.�His�passion�and�excitement�sparked�a�love�of�literature�for�me.��

I�even�kept�all�of�my�books�because�I�had�such�fond�memories�of�his�classes.�And�I�took�an�additional�class,�just�so�I�

could�have�him�as�an�instructor�again.�There�was�never�a�dull�moment�in�class.�Dr.�Bird�had�the�ability�to�make�every�

book�exciting�(sometimes�through�theatrics)�whether�it�was�Shakespeare,�the�Bible,�poetry�or�Greek�mythology.�When��

I�started�at�LFA,�I�didn’t�really�know�how�to�study.�Dr.�Bird�took�me�aside�and�taught�me�how�to�annotate�my�reading—

identify�facts,�pay�attention�to�detail,�identify�important�subtleties.�By�the�time�the�school�year�ended,�I�could�remember�

what�pages—and�even�what�portion�of�the�page—a�sentence�or�fact�was�on.�I�use�those�skills�to�this�day�in�my�law�

practice.�I�am�so�happy�for�Dr.�Bird�and�feel�blessed�that�we�crossed�paths.”�

�—Dennericka brooks, LFa 2000, b.a., grinnell College 2004; J.D., Loyola university school of Law 2007

“My�experience�as�Dr.�Bird’s�student�was�a�‘bookend’�for�my�LFA�English�education.�I�entered�his�Freshman�English��

class�as�an�avid�reader�and�passionate�writer;�his�passion�and�rigorous�material�pushed�me�to�the�next�level�as�a�critical�

thinker,�reader,�and�writer.�I�went�home�with�English�assignments�that�my�mom�would�drool�over�because�of�their��

depth�and�rigor.�I�always�did�my�English�homework�first�because�I�was�so�excited�to�tackle�the�challenge.�We�students�

joked�about�how�long�it�took�Dr.�Bird�to�return�our�papers.�When�he�did,�they�were�covered�in�his�green�handwritten�

comments,�exclamation�marks�in�the�margins,�suggestions�for�further�reading,�and�detailed�comments�that�included�both�

positive�reinforcement�and�constructive�criticism.�As�an�English�teacher�at�LFA�today,�I�think�about�Dr.�Bird’s�comments�

as�a�model�and�I�try�to�give�my�students�the�same�kind�of�individualized�feedback.�As�a�senior�in�his�AP�English�class,��

I�learned�all�of�the�important�terms�that�I�needed�to�succeed�on�the�AP�exam�and�also�in�my�English�classes�at��

Middlebury.�Those�45-minute�in-class�essays�made�last-minute�college�English�papers�a�breeze.�It�was�the�perfect�end��

to�an�incredible�LFA�English�experience.”�—emily asher, LFa 2005, b.a., middlebury College, 2009

“�I’d�never�had�a�teacher�before—and�haven’t�since—who�exuded�such�enthusiasm�for�a�subject�matter�as�Dr.�Bird.��

He�could�be�whipped�into�a�frenzy�of�literary�joy�with�a�single�passage�of�diction,�practically�vibrating�at�an�author’s�

choice�of�words.�He�is�as�well�known�for�his�passion�in�the�classroom�as�he�is�for�his�impressive�collection�of�bow�ties�

and�corporal�displays�of�enthusiasm�while�reading.�Just�pound�your�fist�on�a�table�and�exclaim,�‘Epistemological!��

Teleological!’�with�a�grin�on�your�face,�and�students�of�Dr.�Bird�will�know�exactly�who�you’re�talking�about.�He�imbued��

in�me�the�importance�of,�and�respect�for,�literary�precision,�down�to�the�smallest�details�of�writing.�He�helped�cement�my�

foundational�love�of�literature;�there�was�no�question�about�going�back�for�a�second�dose�for�senior�year�AP�English�Lit.��

I�majored�in�English�in�college�and�still�count�Nabokov,�Kundera,�and�Rudolfo�Anaya�among�my�favorite�authors.”

—sara Calfee, LFa 2005, b.a., emory university 2009

rigorously in tune

“�Having�Dr.�Bird�as�a�teacher�was�an�experience�you�think�only�happens�in�the�movies,�except�it�happened�in�real�life,�

and�it�was�awesome.�He�was�stimulating�and�engaging—my�writing�improved�not�just�technically�but�in�depth,�clarity,�

and�meaning.�He�approached�each�text�with�an�open�mind,�but�also�stayed�rigorously�in�tune�with�the�author’s�motives.�

This�was�especially�true�with�poetry�and�plays�like�‘Waiting�for�Godot,’�which�he�performed�to�a�captive�audience.�He�

was�always�so�alive�in�the�classroom,�sweating,�pounding�on�the�table,�pointing�out�the�window,�head�spinning�around�

the�room—keeping�everyone�actively�involved.�When�he�graded�papers,�there�would�be�so�many�comments�in�his�green�

pen�that�you�felt�like�he�was�having�a�conversation�with�you.�Sometimes�he’d�write�as�many�as�four�exclamation�points�

next�to�a�passage�to�show�that�he�really�liked�what�you�said!!!!�There�was�a�depth�and�meaning�to�everything�he�did�that�

was�truly�singular—you�felt�it�in�his�presence�that�he�loved�his�work.”�—Will Hayes, LFa 2007, b.a., university of pennsylvania 2011

“�We�could�usually�hear�Dr.�Bird�before�he�entered�the�room.�In�the�hallway�of�Reid,�his�voice�would�echo,�sometimes�in�

banter�with�colleagues,�sometimes�just�muttering�to�himself�about�the�day’s�activities.�As�we�discussed�Kundera�and�

Shakespeare,�the�chalkboard�would�shake�with�the�force�of�his�scrawl.�He�would�call�out�page�numbers�and�positions�of�

quotations—‘page�22,�top�right-hand�corner!’–without�consulting�his�notes.�And�even�on�cold�winter�mornings�he�would�

perspire�from�the�frenetic�pace�he�maintained�as�he�led�the�class.�Yet�as�different�as�this�persona�may�have�seemed��

from�the�sleep-deprived�teenagers�seated�around�the�table,�he�always�treated�students�as�equals.�We�were,�as�he�said,�

‘ontological�detectives,’�searching�for�meaning�together.�As�his�copious�comments�in�the�margins�of�our�papers�suggested,�

every�lead�in�this�endeavor�of�textual�sleuthing�merited�attention.�For�this�blend�of�enthusiasm,�energy,�and�sincerity,�I�

oftentimes�still�hear�Dr.�Bird�when�I�read�or�write�seriously.”����

—sam Dolbee, LFa 2004, b.a., university of north Carolina 2008; m.a., georgetown university 2010; ph.D. candidate, new York university

“�Dr.�Bird�had�more�enthusiasm�and�passion�for�teaching�than�any�teacher�I’ve�ever�had.�In�freshman�English�he��

opened�my�eyes�to�literature�and�poetry�and�taught�me�how�to�write�critically.�As�a�young�freshman�in�his�class�I�was�

intimidated�at�first,�but�his�enthusiasm�for�the�subject�and�the�way�he�presented�the�material�made�me�eager�to�learn�

and�participate.�It’s�not�difficult�to�gain�interest�in�a�subject�when�you’re�with�someone�like�Dr.�Bird�who�loves�what�

he’s�doing.�I�also�got�to�know�him�through�tennis�and�as�an�advisor.�He�was�my�coach�for�3�years,�and�his�love�for�the�

sport�was�just�as�strong�as�his�love�for�literature.�He�was�a�great�player�and�coach�and�was�always�constructive�with�his�

coaching�methods.�We’ve�stayed�in�touch�over�the�years,�and�I�see�him�every�time�he�comes�back�to�Chicago.�We�even�

went�to�a�Rolling�Stones�concert�5�years�ago.�It�was�a�great�experience�to�have�him�there�since�he�is�such�a�huge�rock�’n�

roll�enthusiast.�He�knew�every�word�to�every�song�played�for�3�straight�hours.�He�was—and�still�is—a�great�friend�and�

mentor.” —brian neal, LFa 2000, university of iowa 2004, Loyola university Chicago mba 2010

The Campaign for Lake foresT aCademy

oCtobeR 2011

Lake FoRest aCaDemY boaRD oF tRustees 2011–12Zaid abdul-aleem ’90 makola m. abdullah ’86 mark T. ahern ’74 Lawrence s. Benjaminstephen J. Brewster, Treasurerpatrick J. Carroll ’87, SecretaryChinni Chilamkurtisusan d. CoburnJim C. Cowart ’69 nancy C. CrownThomas J. duckworthelizabeth J. ellrodtChristopher e. freeburg ’90 Brian r. gamachekarl r. gedge ’69 Lauren a. gorter, Vice ChairL. Thomas gregorygloria W. harpermaurice L. holmes ’83 michele marsh ihlanfeldt ’89 ned Jessengregory k. JonesLaurel Bye kamen ’64 Loretta kalnow kaplan ’73Jeffrey B. keller ’87, Chair Ben malek ’91 monique pittman-LuiJ. michael schell ’65 Jeffrey L. silvermark s. simonian ’77 regina e. spellers sims ’85 nancy how speer ’59, Vice ChairJohn a. Waltonrobin g. Zafirovskirichard L. Zhao ’04

FoR moRe inFoRmation about Lake forest academy’s capital campaign, contact dean of external relations marina krejci at: (847) 615-3223 or mkrejci@lfanet.org.

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Leaving a LegaCy aT LfaHave you considered your personal legacy at Lake Forest Academy? Have you wondered how you can make a difference at your alma mater both now and into the future? If so, we encourage you to support LFA’s Endowment Fund.

Donors to the Endowment Fund are making an in-vestment in LFA’s future. Income from the endowment helps underwrite annual operating expenses while the principal of the fund is invested and allowed to grow, thereby providing the Academy a financial cushion for the future. Many donors choose to support the endowment through outright gifts; others make deferred giving arrangements, such as including the Academy in their estate plans. By choosing to support the Endowment Fund, donors are demonstrating their loyalty and commitment to their alma mater and ensuring that the school faces the future on a sound and stable financial footing.

Gifts of all sizes are encouraged and welcome. All bequests (unless otherwise noted) are directed to the Endow-ment Fund. Donors may choose to restrict their gifts to a certain area of school life (athletics, financial aid, arts) or designate the gift unrestricted, allowing the school to use it in the area of greatest need. Naming opportunities for scholarship funds and endowed chairs are available.

For more information about the Endowment Fund and how to leave your legacy at LFA, please contact Marina Krejci, dean of external relations, at: (847) 615-3223/mkrejci@lfanet.org or Ruth Keyso, major gifts officer, at: (847) 615-3268/rkeyso@lfanet.org. Or visit www.lfanet.org/endowment

Thank you for your support!

“�This�campaign�is�about�w

alls�and�what�happens�w

ithin�those�walls.�R

ay�Bird�cared�

deeply�about�what�happened�in�the�classroom

�at�LFA.�He�dedicated�him

self�to�moving�

each�of�his�students�to�a�higher�level�of�thinking,�intellectual�exploration,�and�judg-

ment.�H

e�was�equally�serious�about�the�hiring�of�teacher-scholars�w

ho�would�strive�to�

meet�the�high�standards�he�set�for�teaching�and�for�the�English�curriculum

�at�LFA.�Ray�

was�the�epitom

e�of�an�excellent�teacher,�comm

itted�scholar,�and�department�chair.�It�is�

fitting�that�we�honor�him

�through�the�establishment�of�this�chair.”�

— C

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