Calvert’s Leadership Donors Thanked at Calvert 125 Anniversary Dinner

Members of the community who donated $5,000 or more last year were thanked for their generosity at a seated dinner with handwritten notes from current Eighth Graders. On exhibition at the event were hundreds of items from Calvert’s archives, ranging from class photos and memorabilia to class notes. Held at the BMA, where John Waters ’58 and Anne Luetkemeyer Stone ’53 serve as trustees, the evening began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in Antioch Court and followed by a seated dinner and dessert in Fox Court with remarks from Betsey Hobelmann ’87 and Head Master Andrew Holmgren.

In her remarks, Betsey announced the School’s recent grant award of $500,000 from the France-Merrick Foundation to establish a scholarship fund for Baltimore City students. 

“Although we recently closed out a campaign, led by Ben and Wendy Griswold and supported by everyone in this room, we know there is more work to be done to ensure that any deserving student can afford the 10-year Calvert journey, especially those who live in our great city,” she said. “As chair of the development committee at Calvert, I am inspired by the foundation’s commitment and would like to ask that our community match France-Merrick’s grant support within the next 12 months and double the amount of aid we will be able to offer to deserving students.”

Before leaving the event, Keith Flaherty ’83 responded to Betsey’s call with a $100,000 pledge, building on the transformative $1,000,000 donation he made to support Calvert’s Institute for Leadership & Purpose.

“For more than 125 years, Calvert School has grown and developed in the same ways as its beloved students, becoming bolder, stronger, and more confident with each passing lesson and era,” Head Master Andrew Holmgren said. "Today, as we celebrate the School’s first 125 years, we reflect upon the many pioneers, changemakers, and educational pillars that have secured Calvert’s place as a premier institution – and we look ahead to the generations of students, teachers, leaders, and families who will define the next 125.”

The evening concluded with a video message created by 26 alumni from around the world. In his video message, John Waters ’58 jokingly said, “Calvert School gave me the foundation and confidence to become, well, the filthiest person alive.”

Ben Griswold ’52, who led the Calvert 125 campaign with his wife, Wendy, remarked in his video message, “Our family’s experience at Calvert spans three-quarters of a century. It is absolutely amazing that Calvert has stayed so excellent over that long period of time. There are very few institutions that remain very good over time – and Calvert is one of them.”

Following Wednesday’s kick-off event at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the rest of the calendar year will be filled with celebrations of Calvert’s history as well as exciting new developments that signify the School’s continued growth. Major events planned for parents, alumni, and friends include: