Alumni Association Presents Awards On Reunion Weekend McCallum ’64 and Irvin ’81 Receive Highest Honors
By Erin Ellis ’10
News Staff Reporter
Alumni gathered during Reunion Weekend on the morning of Saturday, May 17th to celebrate the achievements of their fellow Choate graduates. Hosted by the Alumni Association and held in the Seymour St. John Chapel, the awards ceremony recognized not only the contributions that certain individuals have made as alumni volunteers, but also the leadership of two alumni, Morenike Irvin ’81 and Robert McCallum Jr. ’64, who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and commitment to their communities.
The program was divided into two parts: Mr. Shanahan presented the Alumni Prizes, and the Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Mr. Daniel J. Courcey III ’86, presented the 2008 Volunteer Awards.
The 2008 Rosemary Hall Alumnae Award, which was established in 1965, was given to Morenike (Nike) Irvin ’81 for her cheerfulness, sensitivity, enthusiasm, and, according to Mr. Shanahan, her “intellectual strength that still shines thirty years later.” While at Choate, Irvin was a varsity athlete, the president of the sixth form, and a house counselor. In her remarks, Irvin recalled the relationships she established with teachers such as Thomas Yankus, Ann Nesslage, and Charles Long.
Irvin is currently the Executive Director of the Level Playing Field Institute in San Francisco, which serves as a “bootstrap” program for striving underprivileged Bay Area youth. In this respect, the program resembles Choate’s Icahn Scholars Program. This summer, the Institute will hold a five-week program at UC Berkeley for 96 high school students. Irvin remarked, “Almost all of them will be the first in their families to go to college… they will leave Berkeley with a greater sense of themselves and the possibilities ahead.” Irvin also recognized the power of preparatory boarding schools. She said, “I know the difference that a college preparatory program experience can bring to an urban schoolgirl. In my work at the Level Playing Field Institute, I am able to put the life lessons [that I learned from] Choate into action.”
“I have always believed that my Choate Rosemary Hall diploma was an award in its own right… so today’s recognition brings even greater light to my very fond memories,” said Irvin.
The Choate Alumni Seal Prize was given to Memphis native Robert D. McCallum Jr. ’64, the Ambassador to Australia, for his outstanding leadership in his community. Nicknamed “Bouncing Bob” for his springy walk, McCallum was the captain of the varsity basketball team, the winner of the School Seal Prize, the chair of the Student Council, and a news editor. A Yale graduate and Rhodes Scholar, he has also served as the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Shanahan said, “Robert had innate goodness and leadership skills. He always set the standard for others to follow and was an authentic ‘good guy.’ He demonstrated courage and devotion and always put fairness first.”
In his remarks, McCallum reflected on how Choate influenced his life. He mentioned the teachers that impacted his way of thinking and explained that Mr. Yankus helped start his relationship with his wife. He explored the impact his classmates had on him as they motivated him to meet their high standards.
He said, “The world is now much more interconnected and interdependent on every level. But Choate Rosemary Hall students are still inspiring each other to be active and involved participants in their school, in their local communities, in their states, in their nation, and now in the global community. I urge any of them who are here today to continue that tradition.”
After the Alumni Prizes were awarded, the 2008 Volunteer Awards were announced. The Kinny Walker ’64 Award for Exceptional Volunteer Service was given to Larry Morin ’58 and Richard Murdock ’58. The Fred Clarke, Jr. ’37 Award was presented to H. Alex Wise ’64, with an honorable mention to William J. Bingham, Jr. ’78. The Clarke award recognizes an Annual Fund Agent who is diligent in performing his assignments. The Choate Rosemary Hall Annual Fund Agent Award was presented to Edward J. McCormick ’78 for outstanding Annual Fund Agent work. Todd H. Ackerman ’85 was given an honorable mention for this award. Lastly, the Louise Powe Hoyt ’17 Award for a Rosemary Hall Volunteer’s devotion to her school was given to Connie Terry Ferguson ’69, and Robin Gabriel ’76 received an honorable mention.
McCallum ’64 (left) and Irvin ’81 (center) received the highest alumni honor at an awards ceremony in the chapel during reunion weekend. PHOTO/LorRaine Connelly
