Montgomery Bell Academy - Bell Yearbook (Nashville, TN)

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Assistant Headmaster Michael Drake, in addition to his administrative duties, has served as the personal college counselor to every Junior and Senior for several years. It is his expressed goal to try to get every senior into the school of his choice, regardless of the odds. For this reason, he and Mr. Bondurant journeyed to the Ivy Leagues this past fall to acquaint them with MBA. Mr. Drake also serves as the Senior Class advisor, a role which includes the unenviable task of getting negligent seniors to send in college applications and the near-impossible task of keeping the “slide” under control. Amid this myriad of responsibilities, Mr. Drake manages to teach a popular 1st period AP American History course. His great rapport with the students is well-suited to his duties. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and of George Peabody College for Teachers. Dr. Harold Crowell, the Dean of Students and Faculty, is one of the busiest men on campus. He is the Chairman of the Science Department, teaching all of the Physics courses, the Student Council advisor, the annual advisor, and an advisor to the Junior Class. Dr. Crowell is a very effective discipli- narian, intolerant of improper behavior, but willing to review individual cases when fairness is in question. Frequent trips to help at a local soup kitchen, initiated by Dr. Crowell through the Student Council, were a source of pride at MBA this year. His dedication to MBA is great, and his humor is operative always. Dr. Crowell received his B.S. from Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, and his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt. Headmaster Gordon E. Bondurant can surely look upon his first five years at the Hill with a sense of accomplishment, for during this time, MBA has seen great change in many of its various aspects. Throughout this period, Mr. Boundurant has been ever-conscious of maintaining MBA’s high stan- dards of excellence. In the academic sphere, for example, Mr. Bondurant has sought to keep the traditional MBA curriculum current by adding ample computer courses and facilities. Mr. Bondurant has also solicited student opinion in making certain decisions. This year, he instituted the Headmaster’s Council, a group of seniors, to help evaluate ideas under consideration and to serve as another means of discovering areas of MBA which could use improvement. Mr. Bondurant also returned to the class- room this year, teaching an Algebra course. Mr. Bondurant was headmas- ter at Darlington School in Georgia before coming to MBA. He holds a B. A. from Davidson and a M.A. from UT Chattanooga.

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ADMINISTRATION

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Dr. G. Edward Gaffney is the Head of the Junior School. He teaches Latin I to eighth graders and con- ducts a scholarly AP Latin class for high school stu- dents. Dr. Gaffney received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. This past summer, he at- tended the prestigious American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Mr. Laird Smith, as the Director of Development, has played a most instrumental role in the recent expansion of the school. Spearheading the fund-raising drive, he has helped ensure the continued growth and success of MBA. Mr. Smith is also the Director of the MBA- Wallace Alumni Association and the Director of Build- ing and Grounds. Mr. James A. Poston serves as MBA’s Guidance Direc- tor. Mr. Poston teaches English I, English IV, and courses in speech and reading. He is very involved with theatre, sponsoring the Drama Club and directing a play every year. He is also the coach of the tennis team. Mr. Poston received his B.A. from Belmont College, and his M.A. from the George Peabody College. Mr. J ohn R. Bennett, the Director of Athletics, has a variety of duties on the Hill. He teaches courses in Algebra and Geometry, and is the head coach of the Varsity Baseball team and the Freshman Basketball squad. He is also sponsor to the Service Club and to SADD. Mr. Bennett has a B.E. from Vanderbilt Uni- versity. 21