May 3-5, 2024 was a historic weekend which saw more than 200 alumnae, alumni, parents, and former faculty and faculty emeriti, including Headmaster Emeritus David R. Dougherty and Kay Dougherty, return to campus to celebrate 25 years of coeducation at The Hill School. The weekend also coincided with the spring meeting of the Board of Trustees. Additional photos and videos appear at the bottom of the article.

Alumnae Summit: Friday, May 3

The memoriable weekend kicked off Friday, May 3 with an Alumnae Summit, when Hill alumnae had the opportunity to spend the day immersed in the life of a typical Hill student today. First, alumnae and Trustees gathered with the entire student body and faculty for a special Chapel service in the CFTA (since the Alumni Chapel is in the final stages of a renovation) honoring 25 years of coeducation. Senior Master Teacher of the Arts Margie Neiswender P’22 ’23 kicked off the service by offering introductory remarks, and The Rev. Anne Confer Martens ’02, Hill’s Warner Associate Chaplain, offered a special prayer she wrote for the occasion. Courtney (Steltz) Neese ’00 P’27 P’28, Edward Tuck Hall Distinguished Chair in English, who also was part of the first class of female students to enroll at The Hill in the fall of 1998, delivered the Chapel talk. Her talk spoke to the “bold choices” taken by Hill leadership in the years leading up to the historic decision, and the female faculty and early young women of Hill who trailblazed the way for the young women and young men who are part of Hill today. Watch the Chapel service.

After the Chapel service, Hill alumnae were paired with student hosts and spent time visiting classes and enjoying a traditional seated lunch, before heading down to the CFTA for an all-school meeting. The special all-school meeting, entitled “Paving the Way With Purpose,” featured a panel of alumnae and an alumnus from the earlier years of coeducation, including Hill Trustee Nicole (Burns) Lauredan ’05; Hill Trustee Jennifer Kang ’10; President of the Alumni Association Wallace Gundy ’04; Ashley (Schneider) Wilson ’01, one of the first female students; and Dante Cutrona ’99, SGA president during the first year of coeducation. Special guest, Jennifer Lagor P’09 ’10 ’12 ’21 ’26, Co-Chair of the Coeducation Steering Committee and Former Assistant Head of School for Community Life, introduced each participant, with Head of School Kathleen Devaney moderating. The panelists reflected on their own Hill experiences and journeys and how their time at Hill shaped who they’ve become today, answering questions gathered by the student body through the Young Women of The Hill group which included Ella Lee '24, Alyssa Diwale ’25, Maggie Qi ’25, Alexis Nussbaumer ’25, Lola Palmer ’25, and Addy Collingwood ’25. Watch the panel discussion.

Following the school meeting period, guests, along with Trustees, faculty, and students, gathered on the CFTA Patio for a special Seventh Form Tea Reception, where Ellen O. Nelson P’10 ’13, Senior Master Teacher of the Arts, paid tribute to current and former female Trustees, with special recognition of “pioneer” Honorary Trustee Jeanne McAnaney P’87, one of the first female Trustees appointed to the Board in 1997, in the year leading up to coeducation. Jeanne’s dedicated service continued through 2014.

The afternoon continued with a special Hill Crew dedication ceremony honoring Headmaster Emeritus David R. Dougherty. Generous benefactors of Hill’s crew program, Abby and Paul Oberbeck ’80 P’10 ’13, provided funds for a shell named in honor of Mr. Dougherty.

While some guests and their families headed up to the Far Fields and Hauser Track ’81 to to cheer our varsity girls' lacrosse team to an 8-7 victory against Blair and to participate in Community Track Night, many headed to the Shirley Quadrivium Center for an evening of cocktails and dinner with Trustees. The dinner kicked off with a performance by our a cappella groups, the Hilltones and Hilltrebles, led by Oaklawn-Tuttle Director of Vocal Music Yoon Soo Lim P’17 ’18. After dinner guests made their way down to the CFTA for an evening of dance, featuring students enrolled in Hill’s dance ensembles, led by director Laura Johnson.

Full-Constituency Celebration: Saturday, May 4

Saturday morning, May 5, kicked off with a student-led Campus Walkabout. Tour guides took small groups of guests to key places around campus, where they were met with friendly faculty faces. Stops included the CFTA, with Margie Neiswender P’22 ’23 sharing updates on Hill arts programs; the Athletics Facilities and Mercer Field House, where Deanna Mayza ’13, athletics department operations manager and head varsity girls’ basketball coach, talked about girls’ athletics and the mural celebrating female sports at The Hill; Ryan Library, where School Archivist Lou Jefferies and Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Shelley Baumgarten, offered a presentation on the journey to coeducation and Director of Library Services Nancy Body was there to talk about changes in the library; the Meigs House (Admission Office), where Assistant Head for Enrollment Management Tom Eccleston ’87 P’19 ’21 explained the Hill admissions landscape today and the ongoing renovation of the admission space; the Shirley Quadrivium Center, where Science Department Chair and Henry J. Colbath Senior Master Teacher in Science Bill Yinger ’95 discussed STEM curriculum; and a special sneak peek inside the Alumni Chapel with Senior Master Teacher of the Arts Ellen O. Nelson P’10 ’13; the Chapel is currently undergoing a renovation including the addition of several new stained glass windows and balcony seating.

Despite the soggy weather, guests spent the afternoon either at Brookside Country Club, playing tennis or a few holes of golf, or on campus at the Far Fields for an afternoon of Hill athletics, including softball, baseball, boys’ lacrosse and tennis, and track and field. In the late afternoon, a special service was held in the Memorial Room honoring the eight alumnae who we lost during the last 25 years.

Later that night, guests gathered in the Boyer Gallery and CFTA for the culminating event of the coeducation celebration, a Kentucky Derby-style party, including a viewing party of the 150^th Kentucky Derby race. The evening was filled with fun -- reminiscing and reconnecting with so many alumnae, alumni, parents, and former and emeriti faculty. Thoughtful introductions of the keynote speakers were offered by Elizabeth B. Blossom Chair of Humanities Dr. Kathryn Malone, who is celebrating her 25^th year at Hill this year.  Inspirational remarks offered by Head of School Kathleen Devaney; Faculty Emerita Kay Dougherty; and Headmaster Emeritus David R. Dougherty, left all who attended the evening feeling both nostalgic and hopeful for the future of Dear Old Hill. Watch the moving addresses.