Author’s Note: Although the teachers referred to herein were my high schools teachers, I ask you, Dear Readers, to now remember your favorite teacher, coach or mentor. Someone who really changed the course of your life in a positive way. This post is meant to honor all of those great people who had a big hand in our destinies.
I’m lucky and I know it. I had the good fortune to attend New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.
I loved every minute of my four years. And that’s no exaggeration.
The social life? For me, the greatest. (I’m still friends with some of my high school BFF’s.) The school spirit gave me a community of which to be proud. Our swim team was unbeatable. Our girls and boys the preppiest.
And our teachers second to none.
I wouldn’t have had the wonderful life I’ve been fortunate enough to have led without the guidance, wisdom and good sense of some of my gifted teachers.
Let’s start with a superstar.
“Doc” was the legendary head of New Trier’s famed music department. And he was a king-maker. Just ask Ann-Margret.
His discipline, high standards, critical ear and enthusiasm were boundless. So was his talent for making high school musicals into professional shows.
The Northwestern University Drama Department always came calling when Doc had a kid he thought had talent.
Alas, this was not me.***
I did get to see him perform miracles when I worked on Summer Opera.
(***I wasn’t good enough to make the chorus. I ushered with aplomb, however.)
As Annie Get Your Gun found its feet, I got a great backstage bird’s-eye view.
Penelope Milford- our uber-talented Annie- was then Doc’s protégée. And she went on to well-deserved show business fame.
But let’s now turn the pages in the syllabus to the less-famous teachers that I did have.
Starting with Mr. Pink.
It probably comes as no surprise to you reading this but I loved English. And my sophomore year English teacher, Mr. Pink gave me two invaluable gifts. First, he introduced me to Man of Property by John Galsworthy. That led to a passion for all things Forsyte that continues unabated to this day. I have read and reread every book in The Forsyte Saga with more pleasure now than I did as a know-nothing pseudo-sophisticated fifteen year old.
Soames, Irene, Bossiney, Fleur, Young and Old Jolyon are old friends. They have kept me company on many a lonely night.
The other present Mr. Pink handed me was a boost to my self-esteem. He was known for his inventive weekly vocabulary tests, and one day, I ended up on one- as a word definition.
The word was “gamin” and the definition was “a girl who looks like Ellen Roffe or Leslie Caron.”
I was flattered to be included in such adorable company. And the class was impressed. (Up until now, my scrawny frame and big eyes had never been pointed out as anything attractive. It would take the Swinging 60’s with Twiggy and her mini skirts to make me feel au courant.)
Junior Year English brought me into Mrs. Gage’s classroom.
She did kind of resemble a mashup of Miss Hathaway ad Carolyn Jones but she was a terrific teacher and an understanding one. When I was stymied and flummoxed about which author to pick for the dreaded junior theme, she bent the rules and let me chose Truman Capote. The joke was on me because at that time, there was barely enough source material on him- then a living author- to fill many of the required note cards, Still she let me hand in my paper- something abut the relationship between parents and children in his oeuvre and gave me a tolerant grade, as well.
She was nice.
Senior Year rewarded me with four fabulous teachers.
Mr. Lightner, Great Books.
This was a fascinating course and Mr. Lightner was a demanding boss who used the Socratic Method to teach it. I still have my set of Great Books and I dip into them once in awhile.
And then there was Dr. Johnston, Medieval History
Dr. J’s classroom was a real taste of college. We were pretty much left to our own devices to form groups and come up with independent projects. If it wasn’t for that AWFUL textbook, The Waning of the Middle Ages by some boring sadist called Huizinga, it would have been perfect.
Here’s Dr. Boyle, English (The photo says “Mr.” but by the time my senior year rolled around, he had gotten his Ph.d.)
I loved Dr. Boyle so much that years and years later, whenever I had to go to a school conference for one of my stepdaughters, I would always race around and see him, too.
And the educator who would change my life in its biggest way- Mr. Thomson, my Italian teacher.
Grazie to him. He gave me a solid foothold in Italian and that led to me living in Florence. What a fabulous experience that was. I could never repay him.
I just heard the bell ring. Time to hit the Student Lounge.
Thanks, Teach.
Ellen Roffe, Class of ’67
There was Coach Pasic, in Chemistry. I was pushed ahead & was one of 2 eighth graders–a sub freshman at my first year of Peachtree High. I did not do sports & was an absolute science geek in the front row. He had the captain of the football give me his lucky rabbits foot (it was real–gross later, but not then!). I had 100%! Average in Chemistry & a cool token to carry around & wave at the football team captain. I found Peachtree Patriot spirit. I had Dr Frye in Physics at Peachtree High School–she was beautiful & super smart & young & would tell us to find a pool table. She was right–physics all came together by playing pool.
I also had the debate team– where I found a place (mostly among gay boys who weren’t out yet–but being smart was awesome, not embarrassing. & talking fast was a cultivated virtue.)
My move to England & my A-level work in English taught me that reading a Shakespeare play could be a one week assignment & that 3 point essays couldn’t fly. My father was my beloved guide teaching me so I could catch up to my peers.
I know I am that professor for some students– they tell me. I hope I am for many! I hope you & your readers told all their teachers what they did! I’ll remind my dad today!
Thanks for reviving these memories, Ellen!
Oh, I’m so glad that you gave this assignment a close read, Jillana. I give you an A+.
A fascinating tour through New Trier High School — I only wish that I could have experienced something similar, but my small town high school was no match. I was able to attend the National High School Institute, in Journalism, in the summer of 1965 before my senior year in high school and a couple of pre-college English writing and literature classes at Knox College but I remain envious of what must have been a remarkable educational experience for you and your New Trier classmates.
I only wish that teenagers today had the same experiences and the same attitude about their teachers, but we seem to have lost much of the respect and admiration for teachers that our generation shared. The culture is the worse for that.
Thanks for turning in your homework on time, Jack. This was a well-written essay with a great hypothesis at the end. I give you full marks. A+ 🎓
I too, had a great high school experience.
Although I was a terrible student, I loved high school.
(I once came home with a report card that had three “F’s” and a “D”. My dad said, “Son, you’re spending too much time on one subject”)
But, back in the late 50’s, I’d like to remind everyone, South Shore was ranked higher than ALL the suburban schools.
The late 50’s? Ancient history, Bernie. But in the spirit of fair play, I’ll let you have some rah rah time for your school. (This might have been a good time to talk about a great mentor, Al Schwartz.)
Ellen,
“Ancient history???”
Are you saying you’re a spring chicken? Or, that I’m an old fart?
I think it’s the other way around. 😊
Yes. South Shore was great as my wife constantly reminds me.
https://chicagoagentmagazine.com/study-the-best-teachers-in-the-u-s-work-in-new-trier-township/
Wow, this is timely. Thanks, Mitch. You really did your homework. A+
I add my voice to yours in gratitude for the New Trier education. “Doc” was wonderfully challenging, expecting no less than excellence. He and Winifred Gahagan prepped me well for my path to Juilliard and a career as a professional actor. And Bob Pink became a life-long friend in spite of the wide gap in our ages. I was the best man at his late-in-life wedding. We had a decades-long correspondence and spoke often, right up until a week before he died. Man, did he expand my mind!
Thanks for remembering these life-changing educators.
What a wonderful coda to my post, Tom. Thank you for sharing this with me- and my readers. I’m so glad this post brought back happy memories. Hete’s to all our great teachers.
Dr. Johnston and Mr. Lightner are on my list, along with Dr. Duda – LATIN [I still can recite the lengthy opening paragraph of Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic Wars.]
My favorite Dr. Johnston story was watching him, quite annoyed, climb into the window and yell at the anti-war protestors on the steps of Spaulding Auditorium: “if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times; stay off the king’s lawn”. The mystery is how he could condense American history from July 4, 1863 [the day after Pickett’s charge] to the present [June, 1971] in the last 3 weeks of the school year. And he cut a dashing figure in his kilts on St. Andrew’s Day, and his own and Robert Burns’ birthdays. And thanks for your favorable mention of the swim team.