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The presentation of three faculty chairs, that took place over Zoom during the week of meetings and professional development before the 2020-2021 school year, had all of the elements of the traditional ceremony. The names of the honorees, a closely-held secret, required everyone to guess who, among their colleagues, earned the awards. On each of the three days, as Head of School Dave Farace ‘87 read the narratives and it became clear who was being honored, notes of congratulations poured in over the Zoom chat feature and when the names were officially announced, microphones were briefly unmuted to allow the recipients to hear the cheers from fellow faculty and staff. Family members, who were in on the surprise, joined the honoree’s Zoom screen and presented the award--a silver bowl that had stealthy been delivered in advance. This year, as in the past, the deserving recipients were completely surprised and appeared overwhelmed by the honor.

George Webb Awarded the Thomas R. Harper ’63 Teaching Chair

Farace began the presentation describing the ways this teacher was is a “kid magnet” … especially on the bus lot. He said, “It is like watching a rock star meeting with fans after a show. Students laugh, shout, wave, and fist bump all around him. They compete for his attention and vie for his smile or glance. In the midst of it all, the teacher stands serenely. He exudes warmth and good humor, absorbing the positive energy around him and reflecting it back.”

As Farace continued, clues were revealed--his deep passion for educating young people about social justice issues; training and certification in Kingian Nonviolence; his 15 years of teaching fourth graders about the power of peaceful protest and fair conflict resolution; Lower School Rights Week; the fourth grade Passion Project; and his deep desire to teach others how to recognize a wrong and peacefully make it right.

In closing, Farace quoted a colleague who said, “He is the most well-rounded and firmly grounded human being I know. He totally trusts and respects his students. In some ways, he thinks of them as equals. I have heard him say, ‘Sometimes I’m gonna’ teach you; sometimes you’re gonna’ teach me. I am going to give you all the tools you need, and you take it from there.’”

Without a doubt, it was clear that the recipient of the Thomas R. Harper ’63 Teaching Chair was non-other than George Webb.

Nancy McFadden Awarded the Class of 1952 Charles C. Kinard, Sr. Master Teaching Chair

“Today’s recipient has been described as ‘the absolute embodiment of the McDonogh spirit and our Character Compass values,’” said Farace as he began the second presentation. “Her colleagues know her to be immeasurably kind, a beacon of warmth and joy, creative, full of hope, generous, and wicked smart. An advocate, mentor, and champion of students, she is also known as a stalwart friend, performer, lover of learning, and lover of life. She is respected and admired by all who walk along the path with her.”

Farace continued with highlights of her 30 years in the Middle School noting her student’s knowledge of prepositions and her belief in the power of mnemonics. He spoke about her exuberance as she becomes the characters, with whom she wants her students to identify, by donning costumes, assuming accents, and drawing from her vast array of accouterments. “Best known for her portrayal of ‘Madame LaFarge’ with her french accent and flowing apparel, she engages students in the art of writing, character development, sentence structure, organizational strategies, poetry -- well, quite simply, in all things fifth grade,” Farace said.

If her colleagues on Zoom still had not determined that the recipient of the Kinard Master Teaching Chair was Nancy McFadden, Farace’s mention of her work with the Negro League and the cards she writes on behalf of the entire Middle School community would surely have given it away.

Craig Whiteford Awarded the Howard C. “Dutch” Eyth Teaching Chair

In his remarks about the final recipient of a faculty chair, Farace said, “This teacher distinguished himself immediately just by joining the Lower School faculty. It had been quite a while since a male teacher held the position of homeroom teacher. Not only was he a ‘Mr.’ but he was kind, encouraging, and funny. He smiled easily and listened carefully to everything the children had to say. They were smitten.”

Farace spoke about the honoree’s dedication, hard work, curriculum development, leadership, enthusiasm, and passion for environmental science. He quoted a colleague who said, “I think of him as the male Ms. Frizzle. I swear he thinks of the green Roots van as his Magic School Bus. He and the kids pile into the van and when they arrive at Roots, they disappear into the crops. He is right there with them, examining the skunk cabbage, tasting the tomatoes, or discovering a deer skull. What he wants more than anything is for kids to be in direct contact with nature and experience all it can give them. He immerses them in the natural world, and they all take away from it what they can.”

Before officially announcing that Craig Whiteford was the recipient of the Howard C. “Dutch” Eyth Teaching Chair, Farace shared the heart of the science teacher’s philosophy: Go outside, take chances, make mistakes, get messy.

Nine endowed teaching chairs have been established at McDonogh. They have been named in honor of “Dutch” Eyth, Ray Oliver, Tom Harper, Doc Lamborn, John Grega, Charles Kinard, Sue Newton, Wright Abbott, and the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation. Endowed chairs are the most prestigious honor an educator can earn. The award recognizes great teaching as well as commitment to the McDonogh community. Each recipient, who is selected by the administrative team, holds the chair for three years and receives a stipend over and above his or her salary.