Capital and Special Projects

Every year, gifts are given to recognize and honor teachers who make a difference, day after day, at Northfield Mount Hermon. They not only guide young people in the classroom, but also on the playing fields, in the concert halls and theaters, during work jobs, and in the dorms. The mentoring they provide leads to priceless connections that are often maintained well after a student ventures beyond NMH.

 

Several projects have been initiated in recent years by donors who wish to honor NMH faculty, and we invite you to participate. Your support will celebrate and sustain the excellence of NMH faculty and in turn, the school’s mission to provide an education for the head, heart, and hand.

 

 

Goal: $300,000

Raised to date: $115,000

 

 

The Hayward Farm at NMH epitomizes for many all that is good about the work program at NMH. The work done on the farm touches us all; we have eaten the ice cream, vegetables, cheese, and berries. We have poured the syrup on our pancakes and enjoyed the cider and milk. NMH students helped harvest and produce it all. The farm has become part of what distinguishes NMH from other schools; students learn how to do the work and understand why the work is important to the school.

 

For more than 35 years, the face of the farm has been Richard Odman. Six days a week, 12 hours a day, he has taught hundreds of students more than they ever expected to learn. Most of those students will remember their days on the farm for the rest of their lives.

 

Richard retires this year, and to honor his commitment to NMH and to students, several donors have created the Richard Odman Endowed Farm Fund. Established in February 2012 with an initial gift from the estate of Martha Avison Woodson ’45, the fund will help support and enhance farm operations and facilitate continued efforts to teach and promote environmental sustainability. For more information, contact Jeff Leyden '80, director of planned giving.

 

 

Goal: $500,000 (estimate)

Raised to date: $240,100

 

 

The NMH Board of Trustees approved a master plan for the school in January 2012. Phase I of the plan includes the construction of a cluster of new faculty homes to accommodate those faculty still living in the town of Northfield. Cyndy Gelsthorpe Fish ’78 initiated a generous lead gift to name the first house in memory of Mec Peller, who taught, coached, and mentored students from 1973 until her death in February 1997.

 

“There are many alums who were deeply connected to the Pellers and were welcomed into their home like family during their years at NMH,” Fish says. “Honoring Mec in this way is so appropriate because of the manner in which she opened her door to all.” For more information, contact Allyson Goodwin '83, chief advancement officer.

 

 

Goal: $500,000

Raised to date: $275,000

Dedication date: October 20, 2012

 

The initiative to name the studio theater in honor of NMH’s theater program director began in 2010 by alumni and parents and was approved in 2011 by the NMH Board of Trustees. David Rowland is a past recipient of the Faculty Innovation Award and the Parents Council Faculty Chair for Excellence in the Academic Program. The theater-naming recognizes his three decades of leadership, mentorship, and teaching.

 

The Rowland Theater is an 80-seat venue located in the Rhodes Arts Center and is equipped for theater and student dance performances. John and Janet Irving P ’83, P ’10 serve as co-chairs of the initiative, with support from actress Laura Linney ’82, honorary chair of the NMH Arts Advisory Council. For more information, contact Susan Mattei, director of individual gifts.

 

 

Goal: $1,000,000

Raised to date: $91,000

 

 

Since the one-year postgraduate Transition Year Program (TYP) began more than 30 years ago, 178 students have completed it and gone on to the country’s most selective colleges. Peggy Jacobs Bader ’78 and Matthew Heller ’78 established the scholarship fund in 2007 in honor of Bill Batty ’59, who began teaching and coaching at NMH in 1973, and his wife Linda, former school archivist. Beloved NMH faculty members, they were passionate about the TYP program. The goal is to raise $1 million to endow one full scholarship each year. For more information, contact Susan Mattei, director of individual gifts.

 

 

Goal: $200,000

Raised to date: $65,000

 

 

This fund was established in 2008 by parents and alumni to honor NMH coaching legend Frank Millard and to support the team to which he was so dedicated. Millard retired after 23 years of coaching wrestling and serving as NMH’s athletic director. Over the course of his NMH career, Millard led the program to a 385-134-3 dual meet record, winning six class “A” team titles and a New England Prep team title. “The success of Frank’s teams over the years speaks volumes about the way he reaches kids and helps them do their best,” says a longtime colleague. The endowment fund will support the wrestling team for years to come. For more information, contact Susan Mattei, director of individual gifts.