Horace Mann Magazine - Fall 2009 - (Page 60)

philanthropy and you Prof. John D. Reeves ’32: A Lifetime of Learning Leads to a Quarter-Century of Giving J ohn Reeves ’32 loved Horace Mann School when he was a student here, and later a teacher. Seventy-seven years since his graduation Reeves’ HM years remain a cherished memory of an era that had such a profound effect on his life, he has made it a priority to demonstrate his support—with 25-plus years of giving. Professor Reeves enjoyed everything about Horace Mann, his wife Mary Reeves told the Alumni House and Development Office when she called in her contribution to the 2008-2009 Annual Fund. When she phoned this spring she stopped to chat a bit, noting that she and her husband had decided to increase their annual contribution. It was a difficult year financially for many, she knew, and she didn’t want her husband’s beloved School to encounter any obstacles in doing what it has always done so well. “Horace Mann was very important to my husband. Over the years I have heard so much about it, and I know how much the School means to him, so it has become important to me too. We believe in education, and we like to support the School as much as we can,” she said. John Reeves’ brief biography in the 1932 Mannikin confirms how deeply he was involved in the life of Horace Mann. VicePresident of his senior class, he was associate editor of the Record, “first associate editor” of the Mannikin, and associate editor of the Manual. He was also president of the Horace Mann Glee Club, and sang in its Octet. Holder of the “HM” letter, he was on the varsity football and track teams. With all these activities, he remained a strong student, particularly enjoying his English and literature classes—so much so that he pursued literary studies at Williams College and Columbia University, and went on to become a literary scholar and English teacher himself. In fact, after completing his undergraduate and graduate degrees he returned to Horace Mann to teach English in 1941. Though Reeves enjoyed reconnecting with his alma mater as a teacher, World War II was waging, and his services were needed. John Reeves entered the Navy, serving first in the Panama Canal Zone as a skipper of a PYC, and later in the Western Pacific as an anti-submarine warfare and communications officer aboard a destroyer escort in which he chased submarines. Upon Reeves' discharge from the service John and Mary married, and went out west, where the alumnus took a position teaching English at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. Mary had worked at Columbia University, and the couple enjoyed being part of the academic world. Gradually, they returned East when Prof. Reeves accepted a teaching position at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, and then at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Reeves had always published in academic journals, notably on the Trojan War and the myths surrounding it. Upon retiring from Hofstra he was able to devote his full attention to another topic in his area of literary expertise—the author Herman Melville. Reeves published his book Windows on Melville in 2005. A fascinating critical study of four famous Melville novels, the book brings to contemporary readers new perspectives on these classic works. Through incisive analysis of Melville’s lush prose, John Reeves traces Melville’s development as a writer: from an examination of the exuberant, innovative style of the early autobiographical tales, Typee and Omoo; through a complex interpretation of Moby Dick that focuses on the exploration of Spinoza’s philosophical theories; to a discussion of the narrative skill that reached its culmination in Melville's last masterpiece Billy Budd. Windows on Melville has been described as “a book that brings refreshing clarity to understanding Melville’s creation of new fictional genres of artistic expression.” Reeves has said that part of the inspiration for writing about Melville stemmed from his own intimacy with the Pacific Ocean, witnessing its changing and unpredictable moods during his days in the Navy. He called on that experience during his retirement, when he had time to reflect, and write his book. Retirement also gave him the opportunity to reflect on Horace Mann—the School that first inspired his love of literature, and honed his skills as a writer. And so, John and Mary Reeves were inspired, over a quarter of a century ago, to give back to an institution they both treasured. This they have done, every year since, to whatever extent they were able—living out yet another inspiring tale. $ 60 Horace Mann Magazine Fall 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann Magazine - Fall 2009

Horace Mann Magazine - Fall 2009
Contents
Letters
Greetings from the Head of School
Greetings from the Director of Development
Enter Laughing: the Humor of Horace Mann School
News of the School
Alumni Council Corner
Bookshelf
Class Notes
Memorials
Philanthropy and You

Horace Mann Magazine - Fall 2009