Groton faculty urged to continue on 'the road less traveled'

Groton School faculty members gathered in St. John’s Chapel for their traditional pre–school year service, part of a week of preparation and camaraderie before students return to campus.

The August 29 afternoon service was a chance to reflect and focus after a summer away from the Circle. After her opening blessing, Chaplain Allison Read asked those gathered to exchange the sign of peace.

“We pray for the school, and the life we share,” she said. “May we grow with charity and insight.”

Headmaster Temba Maqubela welcomed his colleagues to the school’s 140th year by challenging them to catalyze change in their students by embracing “the road less traveled.” 

“Until progress has been achieved, the road less traveled is usually associated with risk taking, naivete, or recklessness,” he said. “Throughout its history, our school has not been shy to take the proverbial road less traveled when the occasion demands.”

Pointing to episodes in Groton’s history where it challenged popular thinking at the time—admitting the school’s first Black student two years before the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court case, inviting Martin Luther King Jr. to campus, and embracing co-education among the examples—Mr. Maqubela said this bravery and commitment to higher purpose was part of Groton’s DNA.

“Simply put, Groton does not rest on its laurels and simply settle and play it safe for the sake of static equilibrium or adhering to an outmoded form of tradition,” he said. “Rather, it is a school of dynamic equilibrium, one that recognizes the delicate balance between tradition and the need to spearhead change when the situation demands.”

Mr. Maqubela also gave examples of this pioneering spirit from more recent times, including the creation of the GRACE (GRoton Accelerate Challenge Enrich) summer program, the refusal of school officials to take federal Paycheck Protection Program funds during the COVID-19 pandemic—instead using money from an anonymous donor to continue paying employees, even when school was not in session—and a new debt-reduction effort made possible thanks to a $15 million gift from that same generous anonymous donor.

“May these examples inspire us and shine a light on all of us as we continue this spirit of a school where we combine honored traditions and the vitality and dynamism that serve as a reward for the road less traveled.”

Mr. Maqubela then announced three new recipients of endowed chairs, saying he sought out faculty who have shown the courage to forge their own path, “in dark times and even in darkness.”

Nishad Das was awarded the Independence Foundation Chair, Groton’s first endowed chair, established in 1959 by the Independence Foundation. The previous holder was Kate Dennison.

Eric Spierer was awarded the Lawrence Family Chair in History and World Affairs, established in 1988 through the generosity of James Lawrence 1926 and John Lawrence 1927, children of James and John, and John’s son-in-law, Ferdinand Colloredo-Mansfield. The previous holder was Tommy Lamont.

Mary Ann Lanier was awarded the LuAnn S. Polk Coeducation Chair, established in 2002 by the Coeducation Committee and other members of the Groton School community to recognize Mrs. Polk’s twenty-five years of service to the school and her commitment to coeducation. The previous holder was Cathy Lincoln.

In addition to the chapel service, faculty met throughout the week to get ready for the approaching school year, including dinner and socializing in the Dining Hall on Thursday night. Staff members had their annual lunch in the Headmaster’s House on Tuesday. Student-athletes arrive on campus after Labor Day, and the first full day of classes is September 10.