GEORGE M. TRAUTMAN

GEORGE M. TRAUTMAN

of Avon Old Farms School

Commemorating Three Decades of Service

GEORGE M. TRAUTMAN

of Avon Old Farms School

Commemorating Three Decades of Service

The Headmaster's Residence.

G eorge M. Trautman is one of the great headmasters of our time;

he has had a profound effect on the hearts and minds of Avon's

students, faculty, and staff, and on the soul of this school. He

came to a struggling school and made it flourish. Trautman's work can be

seen in the successes that his "Men of Avon" have gone on to achieve and

the contributions they have made to society.

George Trautman began his career as headmaster at Avon Old Farms

School July 1, 1969. Upon his retirement from this position on June 1,

1998, he will have served the school 29 years, having transformed a floun

dering school into one that is dynamic, full, academically vibrant, diverse,

and financially sound.

As a school community, an architectural design, and an educational ideal,

Avon Old Farms School is the inspiration of a remarkable founder, Theodate

Pope Riddle (1868-1946). While a student at Miss Porter's School in

Farmington in the 1880s, Mrs. Riddle dreamed of building "an indestruc

tible school for boys." In the years that followed, Mrs. Riddle became a

registered architect, and her early ideas for a boys' school turned into

detailed architectural sketches based on the concept of a self-sufficient

village. She then acquired 3,000 acres of wooded land in the towns of Avon

3

A Sense of Place

by

MARGARET M. DEGRAAF

Theodate Pope Riddle.

!' SENSE OF P LACE

and Farmington. Land clearing started in the spring of 1921; in 1922

foundations for the distinctive English Cotswold-style buildings were laid.

Beyond her architectural aspirations, Mrs. Riddle sought to create a

school that would be on the leading edge of educational philosophy and

thought. As she conceived it, Avon Old Farms would seek to foster in its

students initiative, willpower, and individual thinking-traits that Mrs.

Riddle found lacking in "boys who are sent to exclusive modern prepara

tory schools by their wealthy parents." She further believed that students

develop character through the process of intellectual, moral, and physical

training. The ultimate purpose of this process was to produce a young man

with the willpower and initiative to make right choices. Her chosen motto,

Aspirando et Perseverando, as well as the school's symbol, the winged

beaver, both reflect these ideals.

When Avon Old Farms School opened its doors to 48 students in the

fall of 1927, Theodate Pope Riddle's noble experiment was under way. The

school struggled in those early years, beset by myriad problems that even

tually caused it to close in 1944.

But, as if Avon's persevering spirit were ingrained in its very build

ings-from the brownstone foundations to the horsehair mortar holding it

all together- the school reopened in the fall of 1948. Shepherded through

the next 20 years by the singular, spiritual strength of Provost Donald

Pierpont, the school grew.

4

A SENSE OF PLACE

If Don Pierpont brought new life to the school and nourished its

roots, Trautman brought it to full flower.

T hough transfigured ever so slightly by each new generation, Avon's

mission has remained alive. This mission has always been to educate

young men not only in language, arts, and sciences, but in self-discipline,

integrity, and respect for others. This, a passage from the 1948 school

handbook, is as true today as it was then:

Avon holds steadily to the cultural traditions of old, but at the same time, maintains a genuine and intimate interest in each boy's individuality and personality. It is interested not in sameness but in differences in boys, and gives to each the thought, care, and training which their parents wish their sons to have when away from home.

The original student handbook of 1928 spells out Mrs. Riddle's

philosophy through a passage from 2 Corinthians, later to be embraced by

Don Pierpont, and echoed by George Trautman:

Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day ... while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal... For we walk by faith, not by sight.

5

The Winged Beaver, symbol of aspiration and perseverance, sits 011 the Headmaster's residence.

A SENSE OF PLACE

It is in all the thousand things that can be seen only with our hearts

that we see what George Trautman has truly wrought for Avon. Beyond

the new buildings and renovations and beyond the growth of an endow

ment, is the greatest achievement for which any headmaster can hope-to

shape young men with strength of character and inquiring minds. Much as

the masons who chiseled Avon's buildings out of brownstone, so the head

master's final "work" is only as good as the stone from which it's carved.

Avon has, from its beginning, sought boys of character; academic and ath

letic abilities were valuable, yes, but character was always the thing.

The dream of Avon is to create and sustain "a sense of place"-one

that, though fashioned after antiquity, can shelter new ideas; one that, chal

lenged by the powerful forces of new generations, can harness that power

for its own steady and high ideals; and one that, in successfully doing those

things, will remain timeless.

A real community, a living community, is not a place in which you

merely live; it is something that becomes part of you and stays in your

heart; that you can take with you. George Trautman has sustained this

community for the past 29 years, and in this way, has left a permanent

mark in the hearts of the boys who have passed through Avon's stone

arches on their way to manhood.

For the boys, for us, and for you, George Trautman, this will always

be your community, your place, and your anchor to windward.

6

/'

Before Don Pierpont died suddenly at the end of September 1968,

he had been cheerfully leading a school on the way up to heights

it had not reached under Theodate Pope Riddle's reign, which

ended as she closed the school in 1944 during World War ll. Don had

taken over when a few stalwart Hartford friends of Mrs. Riddle's acced

ed to her wish that the school reopen, and wisely selected Don Pierpont

to be provost (the effective head) of Avon Old Farms in 1948.

Don had been on the faculty of Columbia University. He immediately

fell in love with Avon Old Farms School, his work, and the challenge of

creating a school in an authentic Cotswold village in an incomparable

setting in the Farmington Valley. In those 20 years with Don, we were

constantly wading upstream, fighting a strong current. It was hard

work. The school made slow but sure progress, with success in view a

short number of years down the road, when his life was cut short by a

heart attack while he was on a charitable visit to Boston.

A year or two before his death, Don had graciously hosted the

Reaccreditation Committee from the NEASC, chaired by myoId teacher

and headmaster at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham (Massa

chusetts), Eliot Putnam. One of his committee members was a young

teacher from Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts-George

Trautman. The committee had given a positive report on Avon Old

Farms School and its mission, and Don looked forward to continuing his

7

Foreword

by

F. REED ESTABROOK, JR. '36

Reed Estabrook, at the I996 alumni reunion.

FOREWORD

labors, helping Avon reach its potential. He had worked at it 20 years

when he was taken so abruptly. What were we to do after Don's death, with

the school in its usual precarious position, and no one in those beautiful

buildings capable of running the school, even temporarily?

After the funeral I called the Headmaster of Tabor Academy, Jim

Wickenden. Without hesitation, he invited me up and said, "we'll see what

we can do." We spent a couple of hours discussing the school's needs and

problems. I inquired if he knew anyone we could get for that school year to

carryon as a temporary head. Jim made a couple of phone calls to get things

rolling. As I left, he said in passing that his man Trautman had been very

impressed by what he saw at Avon, but he was still too green for a head

master's job!

Jim was true to his word; he found Alan B. McMillen. A call to me on

Monday, a visit with Mr. McMillen in Wellesley that night, a hastily-called

board meeting on Wednesday, and the installation of Mr. McMillen as act

ing headmaster for the year was official on Saturday. (He was on sabbatical

awaiting his new headmastership the following fall in New York.) Alan was

the right man when we needed him, and his thorough report on the state of

the school at the end of his Avon year was invaluable to us.

In the meantime my neighbor, Eliot Putnam of Noble and Greenough,

called me to say that George Trautman knew of Don's death and wanted

the head's job so badly he could taste it. We knew then that we had George

8

FOREWORD

in our collective pockets, so we proceeded with a search. We used little out

side help in the search, but before we were through we had seen, heard

from, or talked to about 60 candidates. Our most interested candidate,

George Trautman, was anxiously awaiting some word from the committee.

Finally, in early December, George and I made an arrangement to

meet for the first time for dinner, with our wives, at the Red Coach Grill in

Middleboro, Massachusetts. We all had a very nice time together, but as a

candidate, he seemed a raw recruit. He didn't interview as well as he might

have; he was too eager. He called me the next morning, said it was a bad

interview, and asked if we could meet again, which we eventually did. I did

n't find anything really wrong; his eagerness just got in the way of his

wonderful attributes, which I soon came to know well.

On a Saturday, early in the new year, we met as a Selection Commit

tee at school to review the list of the last few candidates on which we hoped

to find our man. George Trautman was among them. My mind was already

made up that he was our prime candidate. George was the last of the five

candidates we screened that day, purposely put last. After he had left, Dick

Harper '38 turned to me, and in a loud voice uttered those famous words,

"Where did you find that tiger?"

George was the unanimous choice. We held a black-tie dinner to intro

duce him to the Board of Directors, who later voted unanimously to

appoint him headmaster. That was 29 extraordinary years ago.

9

In 1955.

W ith the appointment of George M. Trautman as provost (the

title was changed to the more contemporary and authorita

tive "headmaster" by the Board of Directors five minutes

after his appointment), it was possible to plan for the future, and do more

than "keep the ship on an even keel."

As Board President Estabrook recalls, "I drove to Marion, and spent

hours with George, sitting in the Tabor Academy Chapel, mapping out the

strategy and tactics. We decided that if we chose to do something simple,

do it very well, chart a course, and stick to it, we would succeed. The

course we decided upon was a basic meat-and-potatoes curriculum, com

pletely college preparatory, geared towards the typically broad spectrum of

students that Avon has sought and attracted ever since 1927. We further

decided that it was the needs and not the wants of the students that should

be considered, and that discipline was absolutely the first priority. Further

than that, it was to be George's school, with the full support of the board."

The full support of the board, and the continuance in office of Reed

Estabrook for 25 years, are two of the keys to the success that followed.

Even before George Trautman took on his new responsibilities at

Avon, the student rebellion and unrest on college campuses was filtering

slowly down to the secondary level, with issues such as participatory

democracy in the governance of the academic institution receiving much

attention. The short-lived Student-Faculty Senate at Avon Old Farms

II

The Trautman Years I9 69-I998

by

GORDON CLARK RAMSEY '80 HON.

At work in I970'

T H E TRAUTMAN YEARS 1969 - 1998

(1968-69) was an example of those trends, as was the growing nationwide

problem of alcohol and drug abuse.

Stuart Harper '70 estimates that as much as half of the student body

during his junior year had used controlled substances either occasionally or

regularly. Even before George arrived at Avon, acting provost Alan

McMillen, in addition to "keeping the ship on an even keel," did the

school a tremendous favor by not inviting back those students who, in his

estimation, would not be able to, or choose to, live up to the rigors of the

new regIme.

During the spring of 1969, an ambitious series of "road shows" enti

tled Avon: What's Ahead? was mounted with administrators, faculty, and

directors, endeavoring to set forth the new policies in as many cities as pos

sible. The strategy was to spread the word primarily to present and

prospective parents (and to a lesser extent, to alumni), without criticizing

the good which the Pierpont years had produced.

The resignation of John K. Gile '39 as director of admissions and

public relations, for personal reasons, did not make the task ahead any eas

ier. Furthermore, returning students and their parents had to know what

to expect when- and if-they chose to return to Avon Old Farms in the

fall of 1969.

Of inestimable help at this crucial point was the backing of the board,

particularly that of its elder statesman, Jack R. Aron, and others, including

Louise Adams, Phil Hewes, Evan Jennings '39, and John Parsons. George

I2

TH E TRAUTMAN Y EARS 1969- 1998

Trautman had confidently ("perhaps," he says in retrospect, "over-con

fidently") predicted that he could fill the school the first year, or, at least,

by the beginning of the second. He was advised that he should take up

to five years, and fill the school with the kinds of students that he felt

best for the school. Without this kind of support, the tremendous suc

cess of the Trautman years would have been less certain.

The method Trautman used to banish the inroads made by the liber

alism and casual approach of the past was to present his position clearly and

to back it up with swift action. Initial changes (such as short haircuts for

students and increased evening and weekend supervision by faculty) were

difficult to accept, but it soon became evident that Avon's students were dif

ferent from those at other boarding schools. They were dressed more neatly,

had shorter hair, and more importantly they possessed a growing sense of

pride and identity. At that time, any student willing to obey the rules had a

good chance of being accepted.

Trautman began his first year by sending all returning students and

their parents a letter indicating that the use of alcohol or drugs while at

school would lead to expulsion; the coat and tie rule would be definitely

maintained; weekend activities would be supervised; athletic participation

of some sort would be required of all students; all school appointments

would have to be met; and no student would be permitted to register

unless his hair was short enough to satisfy the headmaster!

T H E TRAUTMAN YEARS 1 969-1998

"I held my breath," recalls George Trautman. "I set up a registration

table in the middle of Diogenes circle, realizing that once we let the student

into the school with long hair, it would be next to impossible to get him

to cut it. Some students went back to the barber three times that after

noon before 1 let them register; one student sat down on the ground and

wept bitterly. The parents loved the whole procedure, of course, because

it was the first time that some of them had seen their sons coming into

conflict with authority-and obeying it. But we did not lose a single

student in the end."

Why the insistence on short hair? "I liked it, first of all. 1 felt it made

the students look neater, would give a sense of pride and community, and

also emphasize the fact that the faculty and administration were totally in

charge of the school."

Here, indeed, was Theodate Pope Riddle's reason for a uniform dress

code, 1969 version! Shearing adolescent Samsons by no means removed

their rebellious vitality, however. "Many mornings when 1 would go into my

office, 1 would discover BB shot through the windows," Trautman recalls.

"It was a very lonely, and somewhat frightening, time. 1 told the seniors that

1 was not expecting of them the same standards that 1 was of underclass

men, since they had come into a different school, under very different

conditions and expectations. But, if 1 caught them influencing the under

classmen in any way contrary to the rules, or if 1 caught them in any

T H E TRAUTMAN YEARS I969-I998

violation of the drug or liquor regulations, I would come down on them

with everything I had."

Perhaps the turning point occurred at a dance halfway through the

year, when Stuart Harper, Vice Warden, who "had my doubts about George

Trautman and the new rules," saw the attire and behavior of students from

other schools. "They looked like slobs in comparison with our boys. It was

then that I turned wholeheartedly in favor of George Trautman and what

he was doing with the school."

If the year was one of changing expectations for the students, it was

no less so for the faculty, many of whom were set in their ways, used to

teaching, coaching, or running one activity, and perhaps a dormitory, and

having the rest of their time to themselves-except for the required appear

ances at sit-down meals in the Refectory, which by tradition had never

been abandoned.

Says George Trautman, "At the opening faculty meeting, I announced

that for the first two weeks, every faculty member would be in a dormitory

every night, helping the students to set study habits. The librarian asked

how he could be in two places at once, the library and the dormitory, and I

replied that this was likely to be a year in which we all had to be in at least

two places at once. I outlined the duty schedule, which included the planned

weekend activities, not just letting the boys go off to Hartford by them

selves, increased coaching and advising requirements, and the fact that I

15

THE TRAUTMAN YEARS 1969- 1998

THE TRAUTMAN YEARS 1969-1998

would personally make and review every policy decision at the school. But

I was a lot younger and more sure of things than I am now, and it was a

question, as I reminded the faculty, of "sink or swim.'" Thus did George

Trautman begin the 1969-70 year.

Faculty spouses were also expected to be a part of the effort. Hus

bands and wives of faculty members have always been involved with life

at the school to one degree or another (and many of the fondest memories

of former students recall how nice it was to have families living on cam

pus), but often spouses were not included in the day-to-day functioning of

the school. Under George Trautman an effort has been made to encourage

greater involvement on the part of faculty families and, indeed, many

spouses are employed by the school in either full or part-time academic or

administrative positions. This has further enriched life at Avon and made

it possible for the school to attract the best possible faculty.

In the middle of his tenure, in 1984, George Trautman's success at

Avon was chronicled in The Head's Letter, as the first article in a series on

"Great Heads Still in Office." Peter M. Evans, then director of athletics at

Avon, was asked to comment on the Trautman Years, part of which is

excerpted here:

In investigating George Trautman's past, one is drawn to some

conspicuously consistent threads. He was a tough man, an

indefatigable competitor, a 'winner' -always. George's capaci

ty for hard work, his dedication, his propensity for embracing

17

At St. Paul's School for boys in Baltimore. Above, Trautman is pictured in the center, back row as a member of the "prep form" in 1945. At right, Trautman on the varsity lacrosse team.


18

responsibility, coupled with his relentless pursuit of worthy

goals, have generated a source of energy and growth in him

and those around him.

George Trautman is the self-made man writ large. While

instinctively worshipping at the altar of common sense in deal

ing with life's ever-changing puzzles, George has managed to

meld an ingenious blend of rigidity in his adherence to fundamental principles with resiliency in their practical application

to unique and complex problems. Supremely confident in

where he is going and what is right, George, nonetheless, has

always maintained a remarkable capacity to listen to and learn

from others. He knows people and, more importantly, he

knows himself If the measure of a leader lies in the fruits of his

labor and the devotion of his following, then George Trautman

is a leader par excellence.

From the moment of George's arrival, Avon Old Farms

became a school committed to a kind of institutional dyna

mism. Directed change was perceivable in every nook and

cranny of school life: philosophy, curriculum, athletics, facili

ties, admissions, college placement, and atmosphere. George

Trautman was omnipresent. In the trenches with the faculty

and the boys, his guiding hand touched all. The fundamental

T H E TRAUTMAN YEA R S 1969-1998

formula was simple and as unshakable as a school constructed

in stone and oak: hard work, sweat, spirit, and caring.

George was at once the architect and the exemplar. Caring

requires commitment and time, he would suggest. In order to

teach, one must spend time with the boys-in the classroom,

on the athletic fields, in the dormitories, and elsewhere. George

thus unabashedly maintained a calculated aversion to faculty

meetings. 'We're here to teach these boys how to read, write,

do their sums, and help them to grow up-not waste time (lap

ping our gums in meetings.' Consequently, faculty meetings

were brief, to the point, and infrequent.

He is a very private man, by nature, and utterly self-suffi

cient. Second, like all effective benevolent despots, he keeps his

distance. If he has weaknesses with respect to dealing with the

people in his domain, he has yet to expose them. In fact, it is

appropriate to say that he is a political genius in balancing the

sometimes countervailing forces of trustees, parents, alumni,

faculty, and students-while never losing sight of what is best

for the school.

TH E TRA U TM AN YE A RS 1969-1998

I n 1984, with the hindsight of 15 years, George Trautman admitted that

the swift changes of his first years at Avon must have been hard on long

time personnel such as Bill Eastwood, Business Manager and Comptroller.

"I made his life miserable," says Trautman, "but 1 made every purchasing

decision myself. 1 felt that 1 had to be in absolute control of everything at

the school to get the school headed in the right direction."

George Trautman was returning to the grand tradition of leadership

of such headmasters as Peabody of Groton, Boyden of Deerfield, and

Boyden's pupil, Wickenden of Tabor, who, George Trautman said, "taught

me everything 1 know about administration." The modus operandi

worked as well at Avon as it ever had in the past, thanks to a dedicated

group of faculty including Frank Leavitt' 52, Sid Clark '65 Hon., Brad

Mason '81 Hon., Seth F. Mendell '52, William G. Kron, Peter Evans,

and Gail Laferriere, who were determined to see the school succeed, and

realized that "desperate times required desperate measures."

A new leadership team soon emerged. "When the position of provost

was abolished, there was no longer a need for an aide to the provost,"

explained George Trautman. There was to be no "next in command," no

assistant headmaster or assistant to the headmaster. The deanship

remained one for both faculty and student affairs under John Green,

George Kinkade's replacement, but after Green's departure to head the

Rectory School, that position was bifurcated into a dean of students (Skip

20


Flanagan} and a dean of faculty (Henry Pennell). An almost immediate

appointment was that of Seth Mendell, who was then chairman of the his

tory department, as director of alumni affairs. Significantly, under

Trautman's leadership, Mendell kept teaching, coaching, and dormitory

responsibilities for years after assuming the administrative post, still retain

ing some teaching when also acquiring the post of director of development

in 1982.

An absolutely vital area to address was that of admissions. Trautman

had chosen Harry Rice as his new director of admissions, and he describes

the procedure they followed the first year. "Harry and I would attend

morning meeting, and then get into the car. By appointment, we would

visit all the feeder schools and similar schools, first those within an hour's

driving distance, then all those within two hours' driving distance, then

three, and so on. Our aim was to get the message of 'the new Avon' across

first-hand to headmasters and directors of admissions. What kind of stu

dent were we looking for? Any student that was willing to accept the rules

of Avon, but no one with any drug-related problem or serious psycholog

ical defect."

The message got across quickly, not only to headmasters and direc

tors of admissions, but also to directors of study and educational advisors

and counselors. Faith Howland, one of the latter, observed in 1973 that

"Nails" Trautman is certainly turning that school around. It will soon be

one of the great schools of its kind in the country."

21

Trautman with Seth Mendell '52.

Academic Life

TH E TR A UTMA N YE A R S I 969 - I 9 98

During the second year of Harry Rice's tenure as director of admis

sions, he collapsed and died while he and his wife were playing tennis with

George and Mary Lee (Trautman's first wife) . He was succeeded by his

assistant, Frank Leavitt, who carried on the tradition of personal tours for

all prospective students and parents, which continues to this day.

W illiam Kron, academic dean, is the only faculty member still at

Avon who was on the faculty when George arrived. Hired in 1966

by Don Pierpont to teach chemistry, he and his wife, Gail, raised two chil

dren at Avon- Kari and Bob '89. Kron recalls that there were many things

that were "tough" in those early years of Trautman's leadership; February

8,1971, for instance, when the gym collapsed under the weight of a stand

ing foot of ice. (It was regarded as a miracle that no one was hurt; only a

half hour before, the gym had been full.)

The difficulties for Kron were not, however, differences with

Trautman over academic and philosophical issues of running the school.

And through the early years in particular, Kron found Trautman's unam

biguous personality helpful (if not essential) to keeping the school running.

"There is absolutely no question where you stand with the headmaster."

"The hours are awful," Kron says, laughing. "When Avon is in ses

sion, the school owns the faculty." The predominant issue for teachers,

Kron says, is that "George allows teachers to do what they need to do; he

22

T H E TRAUTMAN Y EARS 1969- 1998

allows them to make their own decisions." Further, he says, "This is also

a place where a teacher can make a difference. If teaching is truly one's life

goal, I think Avon is a place where one can affect youth and not just go

through the motions. "

"That's a critical part of what makes this a student-centered school,"

Kron continues. "The atmosphere here, that George has fostered, is about

professionalism for faculty," which includes follow-through with students.

For example, if a student is doing poorly, he is required to attend Saturday

extra-help classes.

George Trautman has purposefully created a family environment at

the school, which is good for all concerned- the faculty, their young chil

dren, and the students around them. "George has always encouraged

family to come to meals; that has always been very important to me,"

Kron says.

The fact that Trautman has maintained Avon as a student-centered

school, that "students are told that this school belongs to them," as Kron

puts it, together with an emphasis on family life, adds up to a stable, com

munity environment in which academic excellence can thrive.

The profound increase in both the academic strength and the number of

applicants has not altered the basic educational philosophy of the school,

Members of the administration and faculty served at a fundraising dinner in I996. Here, Trautman takes a moment to chat with a facu lty child.

T H E TRAU T MAN YEARS 1969-1998

as underscored by the Board of Directors each year: to seek a widely

diverse student body in terms of background, academic ability, and inter

est, and to hold them to the highest standards they can achieve. Those

standards and achievements are impressive, as Avon boys continue to excel

academically. The school has bolstered the curriculum with the addition of

a wide range of advanced placement courses and by strengthening the

cohesiveness of academic departments and their offerings. All boys go on

to college, with roughly 85 percent going to the college of their first choice.

In 1969, there were 176 boys enrolled at Avon. For the past 20 years,

the school has consistently been full, with an enrollment of between 360

and 370 boys. The number of faculty has risen accordingly, maintaining an

8-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, and an average class size of 12 students.

Moving through the 1970s and 1980s, Avon continued to substan

tially increase the size and selectivity associated with its student body, and

diversity became the byword of the '90s.

The student body has grown much more diverse as a direct result of

policy. Embracing Mrs. Riddle's original philosophy, Trautman sought to

break the stereotype of the "elitist" private boys' school by seeking out an

ethnically and culturally diverse student body. In 1998, 14 nations are rep

resented; 16 percent of the student body are members of a minority group.

This has been made possible, in part, by a huge increase in financial

aid, made possible, in turn by a constantly growing endowment. When

Trautman took over, financial aid amounted to only $44,500. By 1998,


143 students-39 percent of the student body-are receiving a total of

$1,756,500 in financial aid; 5 students receive full merit scholarships. It is

Trautman's philosophy that a diverse student body has a positive influence

on young men, learning not just to get along with others, but to truly

appreciate and learn from the differences of others.

One example of this commitment to diversity is the Hoffman Health

Scholars program, a joint partnership of Avon Old Farms School and the

University of Connecticut Health Center, established in 1992 through a gift

from the Hoffman Foundation of West Hartford and scholarship funds

from the school. Through this program, African-American boys with an

aptitude for math or science receive a full scholarship to Avon. After grad

uating from college with appropriate grades and test scores, these scholars

will receive preferred admission and full scholarships to UConn's School of

Medicine or Dental Medicine. In 1997-98, the fifth year of the program,

two boys have graduated from Avon and are attending Brown and Duke

universities, while four others are currently at Avon.

Avon also sponsors two WALKS Scholars every year. WALKS is a

foundation of five area independent schools, which offers scholarships to

promising Hartford-area students of limited income. The school and the

Foundation work together to identify promising students, who are offered

WALKS Scholarships funded with help from corporate sponsors. George

Trautman has been a staunch supporter of the program and a director of

the WALKS Foundation for his entire tenure.

With WALKS Scholars Kelvin Roldan '97 and Reggie Miller '97.

Accreditation

With Steele Pollard '92.

T H E TRAUT M AN YEARS I969-I998

Every 10 years, all schools (independent as well as public) go through

a re-evaluation and reaccreditation process, overseen by the appropri

ate regional association. In Avon's case, this is the New England

Association of Schools and Colleges. The NEASC evaluated Avon in

1977, 1987, and again in 1997. The process begins with a self-evaluation

Oconducted by all constituencies within the school community, including

students, faculty, administration, parents, and directors. A final report to

the school details the committee's findings-in what areas the school excels

and what areas could be improved. Trautman has always followed up

recommendations to enhance the school's programs. Indeed, often the

accreditation committee suggested changes that the administration had

already identified as a priority, and the weight of the report itself helped to

affect the change. For instance, recommendations in the past lead to build

ing the Adams Theatre and the creation of more scholarship programs.

Under Trautman's leadership, the school has come through each of

these evaluations well, but particularly so in the fall of 1997. Lance Odden,

headmaster of The Taft School and chairman of the review committee,

addressing the school the last morning of the committee's three-day visit,

said "You know who you are, and you do what you say. Avon is an over

whelmingly distinguished and fine school. I think it's a great school in large

part because of the great headmaster you've had here for nearly 30 years."

THE TRAUTM AN YEARS 1 969 -1998

Physically, the architecture of Avon is as striking today as it was when

the school was completed in 1930. New buildings have either been

designed to complement the original structures or have been isolated from

them. It was neither feasible nor possible to construct new facilities in the

Riddle style and materials over the years; therefore, existing facilities were

renovated whenever possible.

Older buildings whose purposes had become obsolete (such as the

water tower and power plant) were renovated from the inside, leaving the

integrity of the original architecture intact. As the Trautman era began, no

new construction had been undertaken since the gymnasium (then the Pier

pont Student Activities Center) in the mid-1960s and three additional

faculty homes. If the 1970s were to see an increased student body, and an

increased emphasis on athletic competition, new facilities were imperative.

First on Trautman's agenda was an indoor, covered hockey rink to

replace the old outdoor rink in the parking lot behind the Village Green.

This rink became a reality in 1971, largely through the generosity of Evan

D. Jennings IT '39. In 1988, a gift from Robert Fairchild '60 funded the

rink's transformation into a world-class facility. Today, the Jennings

Fairchild Rink not only serves the school's hockey teams superbly, but also

cements relations with families throughout the Farmington Valley, who use

the rink around the clock for their youth hockey programs.

27

The Architecture

With Evan Jennings '39-

T H E T R AU T MAN Y EARS 1969-1998

The highlight of the school's Jubilee year, 1977-78, was the renova

tion of the old railroad station into Brooks House, a charming guest house

and faculty apartment. That effort was spearheaded by the late Dr. Brooks

Emeny and his family. Emeny was Mrs. Riddle's second cousin and served

on every advisory and governing board of the school at one time or

another from 1930 until his death in 1980.

Throughout the 1970s and '80s, every Issue of Seth Mendell's

Avonian magazine featured pictures of George Trautman, board members,

and donors, shaking hands as a facility was gutted in preparation for ren

ovation and reconstruction to meet new needs. A few issues later, a similar

photograph showed the dedication of the transformed facility, funded

through the generosity of alumni, parents, corporations and foundations.

The pace of renovations continued through the 1980s. From 1978 to

1983 the old Power House was transformed into the Jack R. Aron Acad

emic Center, which houses the Baxter Library, the 400-seat Adams

Theatre, the Ordway Science Wing, and the Sidney C. Clark Room for lec

tures and seminars.

New faculty housing was added in 1974, 1985, and 1994. A new

school store, the Hawk's Nest, was built in 1975. Nestled in the woods on

the north side of campus, this log cabin was built by students, under the

direction of long-time Avon faculty member, Brad Mason '83 Hon.

In the mid '80s, the original library was renovated to house the

T H E TRAUTMAN YEA R S 1969 - 1998

alumni and development office (later to become the headmaster's office)

and the Estabrook Board Room; three new dormitories (Jennings, Jamer

son, and Brown House) were added; a new maintenance facility and

12-bay garage were built, and the Water Tower was converted into an art

gallery. An outstanding fine arts building was constructed in 1989, and

named in honor of Reed Estabrook.

Computer knowledge was added as a graduation requirement in 1982-

83, with the immediate addition of sufficient computers in the Barnes

Computer Center to realize that goal. The board's initiative to add com

puters came as the result of a Student Council request to the board in one

of the private meetings that over the years have become a standard agen

da item for all board meetings.

Then, from 1995 to 1996, a campus-wide computer network was

installed, linking all faculty, administration, and students. It began in 1994

with a committee, and by May 1995, a full-time project manager had been

hired. George Trautman didn't even use a computer at the time, but could

see the tremendous potential of computer use at the school. With a very

ambitious schedule, the campus was wired and the computer labs were up

and running by October 1995. From 1996 through 1998, improvement of

the network continued and e-mail became a critical part of our commu

nications network. Through it, faculty, administration, and students can

Technology

Athletics

T H E TRAUTMAN YEARS I969-I998

communicate with great efficiency. Trautman mandated that faculty grades

and comments, as well as many other applications, be on-line (and some

of the programs used were created by our own faculty). The computer net

work has revolutionized the application of education at Avon. The

efficiency it affords leaves time for more creative educational pursuits.

George Trautman, together with enthusiastic support from faculty and stu

dents, masterminded Avon's computer and interactive technology, keeping

Avon on top of these constantly changing media.

George Trautman knew from experience in 1969 that one of the best

and fastest ways to build an all-boys' school was to stress the quali

ties of selflessness, teamwork, and perseverance that a strong athletic pro

gram provides, and in this George has succeeded.

The athletic program has expanded from 11 interscholastic sports to

15, most of which have two or more levels of competition.

"Before George Trautman, Avon was really a second-tier school in

terms of athletics," says John Gardner, who has been at Avon for 23 years,

and director of athletics from 1985 to 1998. In June 1998, he will assume

the position of provost. "In terms of athletics, the best thing George did

was get Avon into the new football league-the Erickson League-that

started in 1973-74." The Erickson League included Hotchkiss, Trinity

Pawling, Taft, Kingswood-Oxford, Loomis, Kent, Hopkins, and Avon.

T H E TRAUTMAN Y EAR S 1969- 1998

George was one of the "founding fathers" of the League, which

expanded into the Founder's League in the mid-80s to include hockey, bas

ketball, lacrosse, track, swimming, golf, and soccer. Choate and

Westminster joined the League then, and it has served the schools well ath

letically.

Under George Trautman's leadership, football became a power in the

late 1970s and '80s, almost always finishing near the top, and winning

three league championships in a row. Avon now competes on an equal

basis with the best schools in New England. The hockey team has also

earned a strong reputation, by winning two New England Championships

and many Founder's League titles. Lacrosse, likewise, has remained a

power since the mid-'70s, winning several Western New England Champi

onships and many Founder's League Championships. Soccer plays very

competitively in the league and has become a strong team lately.

In baseball, Avon has dominated the Connatonic Baseball League

since the late '70s, and in 1995, moved into the Colonial League. In 1995

and '96, the baseball team won that league's championship. In 1997, the

team had a 18-0 record; the first undefeated team in league history.

Several sports have been added during the Trautman years. The ski

team started in the late '70s, track and field was revived in 1980, and

squash was added to Avon's athletics program in the '80s.

George Trautman was a catalyst for what is now the Founder's

League and has served as a strong, guiding force for the League, helping

Varsity hockey co-captains Dave Gibson '98 and Chris Migliore '98, with Trautman after winning the Christmas Hockey Classic in I997.

The Arts

T H E TRAUTMAN YEARS 1 969 - 1998

Avon to become a powerful and respected school in the realm of athletics.

"Students at Avon take pride in their school through the success of their

teams; that pride has been a galvanizing force that binds the students to the

school," says Gardner. "George has been the architect of this. Through it

all, he's been the one constant."

As the school matured, Trautman expanded the offerings available in

the performing arts . In terms of learning teamwork and discipline,

active involvement in a theatrical production challenges students much

as being on an athletic team does. For years, Brad Mason, as chairman

of the department of performing arts, served as a one-man drama depart

ment (in addition to the many other roles he filled as teacher, advisor,

and coach) . After Mason's retirement in 1983, the school hired directors

from outside the school for each school play. With the construction of

the Adams Theatre, drama has flourished . In the '90s, the position of

drama director was created, filled by a theatrically-inclined English

teacher. Theatre productions have also, incidentally, created opportuni

ties for socializing with the two all-girls' schools nearby, Miss Porter's

and The Ethel Walker School.

Music has been cultivated along with drama. Jim Balmer and Mary

Nelson, husband and wife team, revived Avon's music department in 1986.

In their first year, they re-established the Chorale and founded the Riddlers,

32

THE TRAU T MAN Y EARS 1969- 1998

which became an instant tradition. After Balmer and Nelson departed,

Avon was fortunate to have the talents of several individuals until Tim

Plambeck arrived in 1997 as music director. Later in the fall, his talented

fiancee, Peg Cleveland, joined him as co-music director. The couple were

married in the Chapel in March 1998.

As anyone who has ever attended morning meeting in the Chapel

with George Trautman knows, the headmaster loves singing. (He has been

known to ask students to "sing it again, and really sing this time," two or

three times.)

When there is a demonstrated need, George Trautman somehow

finds the money. One memorable example is Olivier Solanet '94, an excel

lent pianist who needed financial assistance in order to make his piano

lessons at the Hartt School a reality. Apprised of the need, Trautman soon

persuaded board member Captain Victor Delano to sponsor this deserving

young man, who has gone on to Oberlin and a fine career.

Studio art, under the direction of department chair Gail Laferriere,

has flourished during the Trautman years. In the '90s, Laferriere has

guided the school's yearbook, The Winged Beaver, to win awards year

after year. Every Avon student takes a basic course in the arts, and young

artists can be challenged with a broad range of courses, culminating in an

individually-designed folio course.

33

At the Boar's Head Festival, I985.

With Pete Seeger '36 in I975.

THE TRAUTMAN YEAR S 1969-1998

T estament to the success of Avon's graduates is their willingness as

alumni to continue to be involved in the life of the school and to sup

port it financially. Indeed, during the Trautman era, the school has not only

enhanced the strength of its student body and faculty, it has also "reached

out" and developed vastly improved relationships with its off-campus con

stituencies, including the local community, parents, and alumni.

In the days when Avon was not strong financially and when the soci

ety at large began to question the need for or relevance of traditional,

private secondary schools, it was only natural that the school found it eas

ier to operate within its own sphere. Today, things are very different. Avon

is strong financially and academically, making the value of communication

with the Avon "family" quite apparent. Parents and alumni want to be

part of the Avon experience, and they are welcomed back to the campus

on numerous occasions throughout the year. The Alumni Association was

reorganized in 1975 with an emphasis on input and involvement by alumni

volunteers. There are now local chapters and events throughout the coun

try, supporting the school, and each May brings a pilgrimage of several

hundred alumni and friends to the campus for alumni reunions.

Relations with the community are strong, and Avon Old Farms

School is regarded with respect and admiration throughout both the

Hartford-Farmington Valley region and the much broader New England

independent school community. This is evidenced by the joint programs

34

T H E TRAUTMAN YEARS 1969-1998

held each year with neighboring schools as well as the greatly increased

number of applications for day student admissions.

By the 1980s, Avon Old Farms School was on a sound financial foot

ing. It was no accident; through the hard work and careful planning

of members of the board, and in particular, Business Manager Walter UU

ram, who joined Avon in 1974, Avon was able to develop business and

fiscal practices which have complemented advances in the academic life of

the school.

Today, a balanced budget, attractive employee benefits packages,

sound cash management, and computerized operations are the norm.

Ullram and his staff run, very successfully, the small village envisioned by

Mrs. Riddle over half a century ago.

When George Trautman arrived in 1969, Avon was $350,000 in debt

with virtually no endowment. In 1998, it has no debt and a $27 million

endowment. The school also controls all of its land and buildings, which

is common to most schools, but was not the case at Avon before George

Trautman arrived.

Assuming control over its own affairs and its future was critical to

the school's ultimate survival; it was crucial to establishing a clear direc

tion and identity for the boys, the faculty, and the school as a whole.

35

Finances & Fund Raising

The Eagle, symbolizing bravery, watches over Eagle Dormitory.

With Spencer E. Beal '65 and Peter A. Aron '65 in I997.

TH E T RAUTMA N Y EAR S 1969-1998

Gaining control of its assets will be among the enduring legacies of

George Trautman's years at Avon Old Farms School.

The Trautman years have witnessed a transformation in fund rais

ing. A series of capital campaigns, combined with the growing academic

health and stability of the school, have created not only a healthy

endowment, but also a thriving alumni and development office, which

keeps up with the growing number of alumni who generously support

the school. And, as Board Chairman Peter A. Aron '65, points out,

Trautman has created a climate in which this kind of growth could hap

pen. "A lot of things have happened because George has set a tone. He

has created a chemistry and inspired a confidence in people that allowed

them to make major financial commitments . This is important,

because," Aron says, reiterating a basic tenet of fund raising, "people

don't give to institutions; they give to people."

Avon's philosophical commitment to providing one of the few opportu

nities for single-sex education for boys has set it apart. The decision to

remain an all-boys' school has proven to be a wise and forward-looking

one, as educators now find that boys and girls are frequently better

served at the high school level, if educated apart and brought together for

social and cultural functions.

TH E TR AU T MAN YEA R S 1 969 - 199 8

"Avon will regard education as an unfinished problem," noted

founder Theodate Pope Riddle at the opening faculty meeting in 1927,

"and we shall expect the school to evolve its own mode of operation

through reasonable study and experience" to, as George Trautman puts it,

"teach young men to develop their own decision-making ability without

letting them fall through the net to the ground." During Trautman's term,

that goal has been successfully met and continues. "We have proved that

it can be done," reflects Reed Estabrook, who served as chairman of the

board for the first 25 years of Trautman's tenure. "Starting again in 1947

with no students, no faculty, no head, and no money, we have built the

school as it is today."

Peter Aron, who took over as chairman in 1994, credits the steady

relationship between Trautman, Estabrook, and the rest of the board with

setting the school on the right course. "The headmaster's relationship with

the board has been exceptional and mutually supportive," says Aron.

Louise Adams, Evan Jennings '39, Gilman Ordway '44, and Richard

Pendleton '96 Hon. were among the leaders without whom Avon would

not be the great school it is .

Robert A. Lazear, former Avon board member and the former head-

master of Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford, wrote in 1984:

As a former Director, I would note that George does a good job.

He's open with his board. He doesn't try to hide things; if there's

a bullet to be bitten, he bites it, sooner rather than later. He's a

37

Gilman Ordway '44 - philanthropist, environmentalist, manuscript collector, and Wyoming rancher-made possible the creation of the Ordway Science Wing in the Jack R. Aron Academic Center. Other generous gifts have helped to establish the Alumni Scholarship Fund and transformed the water tower into the Ordway Gallery for art exhibitions. Ordway also donated a real historical treasure to the school: his collection of scientific letters and Presidential correspondence.

George with first grandson, Matthew, in I985 . At right, Tim Trautman '75 and his wife, Mary, with their children, Matthew, jordan, and Maggie in I992. Bottom right, Matthew and Tim in I997-the first father-son participants in the Alumni Hockey Game.


damned good manager, and has the self-confidence to be open.

If a Director asks a question, he gets a direct answer, not a lot

of fluff, and Directors like that.

George does a superb job of making sure his Directors get

to know his faculty, and vice versa. It's different in a boarding

school than in a day school, but George makes a real effort at

it, and that's all you can do. He's always self-confident enough

to expose both students and faculty to members of the board.

George M. Trautman has literally shaped Avon Old Farms School

into what it is. This school is the work of a determined man of unusual grit

and sensitivity, a man of vision with an eye for detail; a man, fiercely dis

ciplined, who has learned to compromise without compromising his

values. "George is relentless," says Henry Coons '71, director of alumni

relations, who was a sophomore when Trautman arrived.

"George is a very complex person; he holds his cards very close to the

chest," says Kenneth H. LaRocque, who succeeds Trautman as headmas

ter. "It's taken me 10 years to really get to know George. I feel very lucky

to have been here during the last half of his tenure. I have watched this

man, who was already a craftsman at running a school, call upon that

wealth of experience to handle some very difficult situations. I've learned

a tremendous amount from him; I think I can still learn a lot from him."

In the midst of daunting professional demands, George Trautman

THE TRAUTMAN YEARS 1969- 1998

somehow found time, in his early years at Avon, to devote himself to the

needs of a growing family. He and his first wife, Mary Lee, raised three

children on the Avon campus: Emily, Timothy '75, and Courtney '8lo

Divorced in 1985, Trautman was married later to the former Barbara

Elliott. Barbara Has two children from her previous marriage, Tracey

Elliott and Todd Elliott '82. Although a private man, the headmaster

makes no secret of the feelings he has for his wife Barbara, his children,

and his three grandchildren. He pretends no objectivity for his eldest

grandson, Matthew '01, describing him as "a terrific kid" and taking pride

in how well he's doing at Avon.

George Trautman has dedicated himself thoroughly to his profession

the education of adolescent boys. He has brought an unwavering

belief in standards of excellence for all areas of life here-academic, athlet

ic, community service, and social relations. Through the course of his career

here, no problem or issue has been too small (a stolen jacket) or too broad

(love of one's fellow man) to speak to the boys about. He has made sure,

above all else, that students are supported in their pursuit of maturity,

responsibility, and an excellent education.

In keeping with the mission of its founder, Theodate Pope Riddle,

Avon has remained "an indestructible school for boys." It is George M.

Trautman who has kept that mission alive-indestructible in both presence

and spirit-for the past 29 years.

39


With Barbara

Ralph Waldo Emerson, writing in the nineteenth century as Amer

ica's great private boarding schools were beginning to take shape,

observed that "An institution is the lengthened shadow of one

man .... " Practically every word in his observation needs to be analyzed

and interpreted, or "unpacked," as college English teachers are wont to

say these days, but the phrase "lengthened shadow" is the most appro

priate to use in assessing the career and influence of George M .

Trautman at Avon Old Farms School from 1969 through 1998.

George Trautman's shadow is a lengthened one because he has

stood as a giant among boarding school headmasters in the last quarter

of the 20th century, and particularly in New England. Physically, per

sonally, and intellectually impressive at first meeting, George Trautman

is a commanding presence, in every sense of the word. He is thoroughly

in charge of, and the master of, any situation in which he finds himself.

Yet he accomplishes this mastery not through intimidation (though some

students who have failed to live up to his and Avon's standards might ini

tially disagree with that observation!), but through the assumption that

everyone will react and respond in a thoroughly gentlemanly or ladylike

fashion to his own gentlemanly demeanor and tone.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly for purposes of historical

narrative and explanation, George Trautman's shadow is a lengthened one

because he has stayed in one position for almost 30 years. This was the

43

The Lengthened Shadow of One Man

by


THE LENGTHENED SHADOW OF ONE MAN

norm when private boarding schools were in their formative years, most

especially in the case of Frank Boyden of Deerfield, who may rightly be

said to be George Trautman's "grandfather" as a role model in the New

England pantheon of great headmasters. A tenure 50 or even 60 years was

not unheard of among headmasters in the years preceding World War I and

lasting into the 1960s. What did this longevity mean in the development

and running of schools like Avon Old Farms as we know it today?

"The key to running a good school," George Trautman told the Avon

Old Farms History Project in 1982, "is doing something very simple, doing

it perfectly, and doing it over and over and over again!" By this, George

Trautman meant that the market for such a school as Avon remains con

stant in terms of its needs and its hopes. The consumers change, in that

different students come through the school every four years, but the cur

riculum does not need constant changing because the same students

practically never take the same course twice.

In independent education, a reputation is built by a solid track record

of turning out well-educated graduates with moral values, civic commit

ment, and the determination to use all of their abilities, physical and

mental, to their greatest potential for themselves, their families, and the

society around them. Increasingly, that society is global; George Trautman

foresaw that and other trends and incorporated them into his very basic

philosophy.

44

T HE L ENGT H ENE D S H ADOW OF ONE MAN

George Trautman is a modest man, to the point of being genuinely

bewildered that anyone would want to ask him for his philosophy, and

then urge him to write it down and publish it. "I'll tell you, because you

are interested," he advised the history project, "but my interest is in run

ning a school for boys, not in being an educational philosopher!" He

echoed almost the same sentiments in the 1990s when offered the chance

to be freed from some of the day-to-day responsibilities of running the

school to travel and meet with alumni and other donors with the ability

to aid the school substantially, though George Trautman is a highly suc

cessful fund-raiser, particularly in one-on-one circumstances.

Modesty is also reflected in George's insistence that he came to the

right place at the right time. Sidney C. Clark '65 Hon., Chairman Emer

itus of the English department, puts the matter into perspective from the

faculty point of view: "George Trautman arrived at a watershed time for

the school. Many schools and colleges were relaxing, if not abandoning,

standards and requirements of clothing, haircuts, grooming, chapel

attendance, and self-respect. Courageously, and with the support of a

wise and involved board of directors, George Trautman reversed these

trends firmly and effectively, and he has maintained the courage of his

convictions throughout one of the longest tenures of any headmaster in

the late 20th century."

Clark alludes to some very basic strengths (and historical weak

nesses) in Avon's system of governance. Mrs. Riddle showed great foresight

45

In costume for Boar's Head.

THE LE NG THE NE D S H A D OW OF ONE MA N

in her educational philosophy and willingness to experiment. In fact, many

parents of the 1930s and early 1940s thought the school "too experimen

tal," in spite of the fact that Mrs. Riddle, through her architecture and

elaborate village system of life, attempted to combine what she considered

to be the best qualities of life in old England with that of New England.

Her final Deed of Trust for the school, should it reopen after being

closed in 1944, prophesies aspects of the industrialization of American

life following World War II, and contains the quotation chosen by the

students for placement on the Riddle Refectory in the 1990s:

"There should be some oases in this country where love of tradition is fostered. Avon shall be one of these oases; one place, where, when Avonians return, they will find at least a semblance of permanence."

George Trautman embraced the "Deed of Trust," and said he "found

very little I disagree with in its philosophy." So Avon's philosophical basis

is one that encourages the preservation of the best, and the innovation of

what is necessary to prepare Men of Avon for a complex global future.

If Mrs. Riddle's Deed of Trust was remarkable, so also, in quite a

different way, was her relationship as founder with all three of her

provosts, the title being carefully chosen to indicate that the provost was

second in command. Mrs. Riddle simply chose not to understand that any

organization must trust the chief executive officer to make day-to-day

decisions and run the organization, in this case a boarding school, and not

T HE LE NGTHENE D S H A D OW O F ONE MAN

have either the founder or the board of directors assume that function.

It was George Trautman's-and Avon's-great good fortune in

1969 to have a board of directors that knew it wanted a school where

standards and civility prevailed, and that it would support a new head

master willing to bring about those standards. In fact, one generous

donor told him, "Don't try to fill the school right away, take your time

and get the students we want."

In an era when headmasters of independent schools, presidents of

colleges, and chairmen or chairwomen of the boards of trustees of these

institutions change at the average rate of once every five years, it was

George Trautman's and the school's blessing for Avon to have had only

two board presidents since 1969: F. Reed Estabrook, Jr. '36 and Peter A.

Aron '65. Always available for consultation, both men profited from the

lesson of Mrs. Riddle's disastrous interference in the daily operation of the

school, and have reiterated time and again the philosophy that: "The

Board sets the policy, in conjunction with the headmaster; the headmaster,

administration, and faculty carry it out." This continuity has permitted

true long-range planning, instead of plans which change every five years to

suit a new chairman or headmaster determined to put his or her stamp on

things before moving on. It has also avoided the prevalent philosophy in

America that unless an organization is growing, it is standing still or falling

behind. Such planning often results in change for change's sake, and not

for sound educational reasons.

47

The Owl, symbolizing wisdom, perched atop the Dean's office.

TH E LENGT H ENE D S H ADOW OF ONE MAN

But Avon Old Farms School, on the other hand, has resisted the

temptation to "go Luddite" and emulate those early 19th-century English

workmen who destroyed labor-saving machines as a protest against

progress, which they believed threatened their livelihood. Instead, Avon,

with the foresight of Mrs. Riddle, has adopted the caution of Alexander

Pope: Be not the first by whom the new is tried/ Nor yet the last to lay the

old aside.

Carpenter Field, named for Daniel Carpenter '72, demonstrates the

loyalty which George Trautman's alumni feel towards him and the

school. "As a student," Carpenter says now, "I was perhaps George's

harshest and most vocal critic. I can now clearly see that ... the Trautman

legacy will be the most valuable of all because the school now has a spirit

within it to be the best, that is, tireless and unconquerable. George took a

good school...and turned it into a great institution that will now probably

last forever."

Such tributes, and others in the 1997-98 calendar dedicated to

George M. Trautman, bespeak a great headmaster with a lengthened

shadow, but perhaps they fail to communicate what George Trautman has

said all along is the secret to his success. That secret lies in his ability to

inspire and motivate students, in morning meeting, in Chapel, or in his

T H E LENGT H ENE D SHA D OW OF ONE MAN

famed after-luncheon announcements. The headmaster may be rallying

faculty and student support for an upcoming game, using humor, even

self-deprecating at times, to urge the team in question to do its utmost,

and everyone else to come and support them. He may be illustrating how

a student's mistake not only hurts the student involved, and what the

immediate consequences will be, but how the whole community has been

hurt by the mistake, and how to avoid a repetition.

For George Trautman never shirks the hard or unpleasant aspects

of his job. He tells the anecdote about approaching Jim Wickenden, a

Boyden-trained headmaster, after George's first faculty meeting under

Wickenden at Tabor. "How do I get to sit where you are sitting?" the

neophyte teacher asked the headmaster. "Learn how to do every

unpleasant, nasty and difficult job in this school, and in 10 years, I'll

recommend you!" advised his mentor.

George Trautman took his advice, and that is how, by 1969, Reed

Estabrook was asked, "Where did you get that tiger!?" by board member

Dick Harper '38 . The tiger in question came to Avon that spring, and so

impressed alumni that pledges were doubled and redoubled to the school

during that first weekend.

And, as is apparent to all who know and love the school in 1998, the

success has been doubling and redoubling ever since.

49

With Reed Estabrook '36 and Governor Lowell Weicker.

W hen George Trautman wrote to the board of directors last

year indicating that he had decided to step down as head

master this spring, he summarized his feelings with these

words: "In many ways, this is a job I'd like to keep forever. And I must

say that these past 29 years have been phenomenal ones- a tremendous

opportunity and a dream that very few in this world get the chance to

fulfill. "

Of course, very few schools ever get the chance to benefit from a

leader like George, a man whose dedication, character, and professional

skills have permeated and enriched every aspect of life at Avon Old Farms.

Indeed, the school owes George Trautman a tremendous debt of gratitude,

not only for what he has done over the past three decades but also for the

way he has positioned the school for generations to come.

When the final history of Avon Old Farms is written it will be the

story- not of beautiful buildings and woodlands- but of the extraordi

nary people who shared a vision, instilled traditions and values, and always

remained focused on one thing: the boys, the young Men of Avon. Mrs.

Riddle, the old school provosts, Donald Pierpont, Reed Estabrook, and

especially George Trautman, will long stand as the pillars upon on which

the Avon of today has been built and will continue to grow in the future.

The Trautman years will, I believe, come to be seen as the period dur

ing which the school truly proved itself as a first-rate academic institution

5I

Afterword

by

PETER A. ARON ' 65

CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

With a few of "his boys," Lance Cashion '93, Perry Holland '93, and Travis Merritt '93 .

AFTERW ORD

and took its rightful place among the great private secondary schools of

America. The Riddle years saw the construction of.the school, the cre

ation of the unique Old Farms village and sense of community spirit, as

well as a series of attempts to sort out and clarify the academic philos

ophy of the school. The Pierpont years were a period of struggle,

rebirth, and recommitment to the dream of an all-boys' school in which

it was believed that every student, properly motivated and guided, could

succeed. Mrs. Riddle provided the place and engendered in every boy a

sense of citizenship. Don Pierpont brought academic structure and

defined the kind of student who would most benefit from the Avon

experience-the same kind of fine young man we continue to seek to

this day. Mrs. Riddle aspired and Don Pierpont persevered. George

Trautman took those basic building blocks and worked them into the

structure, the systems, and spirit which is Avon today.

Over the years I've often been asked by people, "How does George

Trautman do it? Why is he so successful? How does he handle the stress?"

There are many answers, of course, but I think there are a few particular

things about the man which truly define him and which we see reflected

daily in the behavior and attitude of everyone in the school community.

First of all, George Trautman is a simple man. By that I mean singu

larly focused and clear about his mission and how he should carry that out.

His focus is always on the students; what's best for the boys in the school;

AFTERW O R D

what needs so be done to deliver on the promises made to the students and

their families, from the moment they walk through the front entrance to

the moment they depart. In discussions with faculty, parents, students, and

members of the board, George has always kept the agenda and the issues

simple and to the point. What's best for a group of boys or for an individ

ual boy, in terms of achieving success, is ultimately the only issue.

Similarly, George has never been one for obfuscation or procrasti

nation when it comes to making decisions . He confers with others, he

does his thinking, he makes his decision and then sticks firmly with his

decision. He maintains a sense of direction and he instills confidence in

those around him- and that is what good leadership is all about.

It's always fascinated me to see how boys, on the one hand, seem to

fear George, and on the other hand, feel a great affection for him and a

great respect for his authority. I believe that that is simply a reflection of

the respect George has for each of the students. He may get furious at a

student for doing something stupid or thoughtless, but I have never seen

him put down a student or humiliate him, or in any way suggest that he

doesn't care. George's sense of fairness-no matter how firm he may

have to be-is something that the boys understand and genuinely appre

ciate. The students know just where they stand. They know the limits and

the rules and they know that privileges have to be earned. At the same

time, George fully understands that people, especially adolescent boys, will

53

AFTE RWOR D

"push the envelope," that they will mess up, and that a second chance care

fully bestowed is often the right way to go.

George Trautman truly wants everyone to live up to his potential and

to succeed in whatever he does. That includes students, faculty, and staff

of the school, as well as friends. He realizes that people have limitations

but he does not believe that it's right for those limitations to be self

imposed. Rather, he believes that we all have an obligation to help one

another achieve as much as possible, to draw out the best. George's desire

to see his students grow and succeed is only matched by his desire to see

his faculty grow and succeed. He asks a tremendous amount from his

teachers and members of the staff. At the same time, he knows that the

more he asks, the more accomplished they will become, the better suited

they will be to move ahead as teachers and administrators, and in a few

cases, heads of schools.

Honesty, integrity, character, and values are things that people spend

a lot of time talking about these days. But very few people are prepared to

live their lives and follow a personal code of conduct consistent with

absolute truthfulness and unselfish behavior. In George's mind, there is no

other option, for he knows that boys learn most effectively through the

examples set by teachers and role models 24 hours a day.

Each fall at faculty orientation before the opening of school, George

tells the new teachers, "You can't fool these kids for a second. It you're not

54

AFTERWO RD

straight with them, if you are not a role model to whom they can look for

guidance, you're not going to make it here."

I well remember a confrontation I happened to witness on campus

between George and a boy several years ago. The young fellow had been

caught for some minor infraction and then lied about it to the Headmas

ter. George confronted the young man, chewed him out a bit, and the

incident ended with the boy saying, "I'm so sorry I lied to you sir, because

I let you down." Whatever the boy had done to get in trouble was not

nearly so bad as lying to the man he revered.

Boastfulness or hubris is not part of George Trautman's personality.

If anything, he's the first one to accept blame if something goes wrong

and he goes overboard to give other people credit when things go right.

He firmly believes that the success of Avon Old Farms is not due to

George Trautman but to everybody who lives and works as part of the

school community. In fact, George is always genuinely touched when

praised publicly and he is deeply moved when a boy or a family tells him

that he has made a positive difference in a young life. He once told me,

"You can't believe how good it feels when you see a kid turn out right

and you can't believe how awful it is when you just can't find a way to

help a kid who's having trouble." George simply feels so lucky about the

life that he's lived that he wants everyone else to have just as much

opportunity, excitement, and satisfaction.

55

With his successor, Kenneth H. LaRocque, I997.

On the evergreen adorned stage, at commencement.

AFTERWORD

I have never heard George tell an off-color joke or make an insen

sitive or hurtful remark at someone else's expense. And yet he has a

marvelous sense of humor and there are times when he simply can't resist

letting go with his thundering laugh. He is a great observer of the human

comedy, amused by what one might call "antics," especially on the part

of his students and young faculty members (so long as nobody gets

hurt!). He also takes joy in telling stories on himself, never feeling self

conscious or inept. For example, his ability as a navigator has always

been somewhat questionable and George likes to play up to the stories

told about his being lost in fog or having the wrong charts. The fact is,

he has sailed his way across huge expanses of open ocean, navigating

with basic instruments and, so far, he's always made his landfall right on

the dot!

The job of headmaster inevitably includes some painful and ex

tremely trying moments. When a student is injured, a faculty member

fails to measure up, or an alumnus gets his nose out of joint, it's the head

master who takes the heat and the criticism.

I've often described George as "the glue that holds the school

together." If that's the case, then Barbara Trautman is the glue that helps

hold George Trautman together. She is a fabulously thoughtful and sen

sible person who has, in her own way, contributed tremendously to the

success of the school and its head. She has never imposed herself on the

AFTERWO RD

workings of the school nor has she ever held herself up as critic or arbiter,

but she has always been there to listen and share her perspective about

things. How marvelous it has been for Avon, one of the last nearly all

male institutions of its kind, to have had Barbara's wise counsel and

feminine touch at just the right times and places.

When George Trautman steps down as headmaster he will not be

retiring from Avon Old Farms. He will be taking on important new

responsibilities which only a man of his caliber and experience could

handle. He will continue as an ambassador, counselor, and representative

of the school to the local community and wherever Avon has alumni,

friends, and prospective students. He has left an indelible mark on the

school and prepared the school well for the generations of Avonians to

come. Today, the school enjoys a wonderful balance of academics, ath

letics, and the arts . School spirit is high, the students work hard and play

hard, and treat one another with respect. The support of the parent body

is tremendous. The alumni no longer refer to themselves as being of the

Old School or the Pierpont Years or the Trautman Years, they simply see

themselves as Men of Avon who share a sense of pride in their school.

It is those positive feelings about the school which George Trautman

has worked so hard and so successfully to engender which shall carry the

school into the next century with vigor and strength. That is a great

legacy for anyone to leave behind.

57

The Elephant, symbolizing memory and longevity, trumpets from the top of Elephant dormitory.

THE T RAUTMAN YEARS 1969- 1998

Were Mrs. Riddle to return to Avon today and be obliged to choose

one of the allegorical figures she placed around campus to represent

George Trautman, she would have a tough time in making her choice. The

compassionate pelican, the brave eagle, the long-lived elephant, Diogenes

searching for truth and honesty, and the wise owl--each provide but one

aspect of the man who has aspired and persevered for Avon Old Farms for

three decades.

COLOPHON

jl-

THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTED TO THE MAKING OF THIS BOOK.

MANY OTHERS CONTRIBUTED IN LESS TANGIBLE WAYS; WE THANK YOU ALL.

WE ALSO THANK PETER ARON, ELLIE AND TONY LEIGH,

TIM TRAUTMAN, AND GEORGE AND BARBARA TRAUTMAN

FOR THE USE OF PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHS.

jl-

PETER A. ARON '65

F. REED ESTABROOK, JR. '36

HENRY R. COONS '7I

ARTHUR B.W. CUSTER

MARGARET Moss DEGRAAF

PETER M. EVANS

JOHN T. GARDNER

SUSAN Y. HAILE

CAROL C. KETCHAM

WILLIAM G. KRON

KENNETH H . LAROCQUE


DESIGN: KATE SIEPMANN

PRINTED IN A LIMITED EDITION· MAy 1998

© AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL' 500 OLD FARMS ROAD' AVON , CONNECTICUT 06001

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GEORGE M. TRAUTMAN