Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Summer 2009 | Page 8

School News

Celebrating 30 Years as a Trustee

James E. Nelson ’67 reflects on his service to Thornton Academy
Thornton Academy is pleased to
announce that James E. Nelson ’67
has served on the Board of Trustees
for 30 years, 24 of those as its president. He’s known for creating an
encouraging, inclusive and productive atmosphere, setting educational
standards as objectively as possible
and being able to step back to allow
administrators, teachers and staff to
do their best work.
Nelson says it’s been a gratifying and “remarkably awesome” experience to be a Trustee. He’s happy
to have been part of the process to
build TA’s strong academic program
and expand arts opportunities as well
as extra-curricular and athletic offerings. But that’s only part of what excites Nelson about working with the
Thornton Academy community.
“It’s all about the people – the
students, the staff and the alumni,”
he says. “In the early years, when I
first joined the board, several of my
teachers were still at TA. I remember
Dom DiBiase in the math department
telling me I had done a good job when
I became a Trustee. That made me
feel proud. It’s been wonderful getting to know our talented faculty and
staff members over the years. Same
goes for the students. I’ve also really
enjoyed attending the 50th alumni
reunions and the Senior Alumni Reunion each year. Marion Howard
Dennis (class of 1927), Thornton’s
oldest alumni, is a dear friend. I love
seeing the Brock family every year.

Bruce Haskell Photography

James E. Nelson ’67

It’s been a wonderful journey.”
Nelson adds that the volunteers
at Thornton make it a great place
for kids to learn, grow and thrive.
He also appreciates everything that
the Alumni Board does as its members engage graduates young and old
alike.
When Nelson was 29, former
trustee Laurence H. Staples ’40 asked
him if he was willing to serve on the
board. Having married a teacher,
Kathleen Huot Nelson ’67, the discussion of educational practices and
school issues was already an important part of his life. Nelson proved to
be an intelligent, dedicated leader.
The central role of Thornton’s
Board of Trustees is to oversee the
financial well-being of the school,
including capital assets, operating
budgets, fundraising and endowments. While the history of giving to
TA goes far and deep into Thornton’s
history, additional fundraising activities like the annual fund are relatively new. Nelson encouraged trustees to take
leadership roles in giving back to the school
and helped cultivate
greater giving among
TA alumni and friends.
The capital campaign
he spearheaded helped
bring the Harry P. Garland II Auditorium, the
Helen Atkinson Dining
Commons and the Mary
Weymouth Hyde Library
to campus in 1996.
Nelson’s
background prepared him
Photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette ’89
overseeing
the
James E. Nelson ’67, left, said he was “totally shocked” to for
school’s finances and
learn that the new residence hall would be named in his
honor. Nelson has served 30 years on the Board of Trustees, fiscal projects: He has
24 of those as its president. He was congratulated by current a bachelor’s degree in
mathematics from the
Board President Eric Purvis ’81 at an event on July 16.
Postscripts

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