Lyle Farrell's tenure as Headmaster was notable for financial stability (relative to preceeding decades,) maturation of the academic program and building. Shirley Hall and Farrell Fieldhouse were constructed in the early '60s; the north wing of Maxwell Savage and Holland Auditorium were built in 1957-58. Under Farrell, the auditorium's use was limited to dramatic and music productions, athletic banquets and speeches.

It seems that Lyle--who wrote with fervor in support of democracy as opposed to communism--did not favor having all-school assemblies outside of chapel. All that changed in 1971, when David Fowler truly democratized this community and encouraged the assemblies that have shaped its character ever since. For thirty years, Holland Auditorium hosted raucous, open, whole-school gatherings at which anyone and everyone was welcome to speak spontaneously. Irreverant skits were performed; emotional observations shared. Again and again, the informal, egalitarian ethos of the school was cultivated, as the community saw itself being itself four times per week. Core values emerged.

A couple of years ago, a graduate of the Class of 1939 named Bill Wise pledged a gift to Proctor. It was the kind of loving gift that people in Development call "extra large," and on February 21 we will formally dedicate the Ruby and Bill Wise Community Center in the building that housed Holland Auditorium. It's already in use.

We still have daily assemblies, of course, in the Norris Family Theater of the Meeting House that was completed in 2001. They may not be as crazy and irreverant as those in the '70s, but they are open, honest, and critical to maintaining our evolving culture. Below, girls announce that their hockey team has scored 10 goals in two days.