Bill Pike ’71

One of the more intriguing aspects of celebrating a Loomis Chaffee class reunion virtually (as opposed to in-person) is the fact that a virtual celebration can continue for several weeks rather than being squeezed into a single weekend visit to the campus. Having just observed my virtual 50th and having been modestly involved in some of the preparations leading up to our class celebrations, I’ve had numerous recent occasions to look back on my LC experiences and ask myself why my four years at the school continue to be so important to me.

My career at Loomis wasn’t especially noteworthy, and yet I loved each of the four years that I spent on the Island. I’ve continued to feel that way for the past five decades. As I began thinking about the role that the school played in my life, I found myself focusing on my accomplishments outside the classroom and away from the athletic fields since I wasn’t particularly outstanding in either locale. By contrast, the two independent studies projects that I pursued during the spring terms of my junior and senior years were fundamental to my future endeavors.

I know my Loomis Chaffee education taught me the difference between learning and thinking, how each begets the other, and how essential it is to be able to do both well. Loomis also introduced me to levels of social, economic, cultural, and religious diversity to which I had not been previously exposed during eight years of elementary education split between a pair of fairly small private schools. Most significantly, my Loomis Chaffee education allowed me to develop as an individual. I never earned a varsity letter and I didn’t receive a prize at commencement, but I graduated as a young adult who was not only prepared for college but who had developed the core interests and values that would define my life for at least the next half century.

It should come as no surprise that I have included Loomis Chaffee in my estate plans for at least the past 30 years. I am delighted to be able to help the school provide similar opportunities to generations of future students as it did so well for me. It’s a wonderful opportunity for me to “pay it back” and “pay it forward” at the same time.