St Louis Country Day School - Codasco Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

Page 11 text:

70th Birthday Country Day celebrates its birthday with Founders Day: Dr. Walter F. Gellhorn honored as distinguished alumnus When something's 70 years old, it's about to fall to pieces, but Country Day still keeps on going. With all the turbulance of the past seventy years, Country Day still rises above them all and remains one of the best private educational institutions. To celebrate its success and to commemorate the Founders of the school, Dr. Johnson and the Board of Trustees declared that September 27, 1987 be the first Founders' Day, as well as a day to rededicate the Danforth Chapel and to present the 1986 Distinguished Alumnus Award. The Founders' Day proceedings began with Headmaster John R. Johnson telling of the original Founders of Country Day and of the first year of school in 1917. There were eleven Founders of the school, the first being Judge and Mrs. George C. Hancock, who with other parents of the community wanted to found a new school in place of the closing Smith Academy. The interest was great, and the necessary funds were raised. The Julius Walsh home became the primary sight for the school. The first Board of Trustees meeting was called on May 12, 1917. Mr. Ralph Hoff- man became the first headmaster. That fall, the school officially opened. ln June of 1947, Robert Cunningham, Headmaster from 1946 to 1953, suggest- ed that the growing Lambert Airport cre- ated problems which could only be solved by a move of the school. ln 1951, a site next to Mary Institute was chosen. ln 1952, 56 acres were purchased and con- struction was ready to begin. Over the 1957-58 Christmas Holidays, the move took place. Since September 29, 1917, Country Day has never stopped growing and striving to achieve the goals of its motto: Uscire, credere, posse , Hto know, to believe, and to be able. Following the presentation by Dr. John- - r i son, Walter Gellhorn was presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award for his re- markable achievement as teacher, scholar, and public servant. Dr. Gelhorn was a gra- duate of Country Day in 1923. He had received the distinction as the world's fore- most authority on administrative law and a leader in legal education. Dr. Gelhorn now serves by Presidential appointment as a member of the Council of the Administra- tive Conference of the United States. The final portion ofthe Founders' Day program was the rededication of Danforth Chapel. The funds to renovate the Chapel were provided by parents, alumni, and friends of Country Day with the Parents' Association donating S175,000 raised at last year's auction. As Willie Epps com- mented, it's the parents and the alumni that make Country Day what it is, the very best. Jason Saghir, '88 N . 1

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Happy Recounting the history of Country Day, Dr. Johnson named the eleven Founders who established this institution for the better education of young boys, an institution still strong after seventy years. During intermission, Jonathon Chun showed his talent as he entertained the audience with his virtuosity on the violin. E e Named as the Distinguished Alumnus for 1986, Dr. Walter F. Gellhorn recalled his early J days at Country Day and his as- Y r sociation with the Founders. Having mentioned all the accomplishments of Dr. Gellhorn, Mr. John L. Gillis, Jr. presented to Dr. Gellhorn the Country Day Distinguished Alumnus Award for 1986.

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