You could feel the excitement in the air during this year’s Alumnae Weekend, April 22-24. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 protocols, Ashley Hall women returned en masse to celebrate their alma mater and each other. Nearly 50 classes were represented at festivities throughout the day which included campus tours, special educational experiences, a Jubilee Society luncheon, and the infamous Purple and White Party. It was an extraordinary day filled with laughter, love, and the deep bonds that come from the Ashley Hall experience.
To make up for lost time during the recent pandemic, we celebrated reunion classes ending in 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 though alumnae from all classes were encouraged to participate. Next year, Spring 2023, will be the reunion year for classes ending in 3 and 8, so get ready!
You could feel the excitement in the air during this year’s Alumnae Weekend, April 22-24. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 protocols, Ashley Hall women returned en masse to celebrate their alma mater and each other. Nearly 50 classes were represented at festivities throughout the day which included campus tours, special educational experiences, a Jubilee Society luncheon, and the infamous Purple and White Party. It was an extraordinary day filled with laughter, love, and the deep bonds that come from the Ashley Hall experience.
To make up for lost time during the recent pandemic, we celebrated reunion classes ending in 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 though alumnae from all classes were encouraged to participate. Next year, Spring 2023, will be the reunion year for classes ending in 3 and 8, so get ready!
Here’s a brief recap of the weekend:
Class Parties
Class Parties were held by many classes at various locations. It was a perfect way to begin the weekend and provided anticipation for the excitement to come on Saturday. To connect with your class for upcoming events, like reunion parties, please feel free contact Director of Alumnae Engagement Director, Arden McKenzie at [email protected].
Educational Experiences
New this year and enthusiastically well received, the hands-on Educational Experiences gave alumnae the opportunity to meet faculty members and participate in Ashley Hall curriculum-inspired seminars. Botany at the Bear Cave and exploring the Campus Greenhouse were big hits this year.
Class Photos & Mimosas at the Shell House
Always a popular activity, we had class photos taking place throughout the morning.
Jubilee Society Induction and Luncheon
With nearly 120 in attendance, this year’s Jubilee Society Luncheon and Induction was the perfect way to catch up, literally and figuratively. Celebrating those alums who graduated 50 years or more from Ashley Hall, this lively event featured the induction of not only the Class of 1972, but the Class of 1970 and 1971 who marked their Jubilee Reunion years during the pandemic. Needless to say, a good time was had by all.
Purple and White Party
Capping off a busy Saturday, the Purple and White Party began with inspirational remarks from outgoing Head of School, Jill Muti. Jill nodded to the transformation and growth of Ashley Hall over the last 18 years and the excitement that the future holds. The end of her speech was greeted with a much-deserved standing ovation. It was the perfect note to begin a fun evening of food, music, and dancing. The evening also featured a live auction, which was accompanied by an earlier silent online auction both raising significant funds for the alumnae scholarship.
What a wonderful time to celebrate each other and Ashley Hall!
A cherished, longstanding Ashley Hall tradition, The Christmas Play assumed a digital format for its 2020 production in response to pandemic safety concerns. Against the backdrop of new technology, creative staging, and the need for the cast to socially distance, one thing remained clear: the love for this shared generational experience runs deep.
“This year we reimagined The Christmas Play in order to adhere to public health and safety protocols, and the spirit of this Ashley Hall tradition came to life in an entirely new way. Filmed outdoors on campus, the play allowed us to take full advantage of our cherished Senior Lawn as well as the Bear Cave, which served as the perfect backdrop for the Holy Tableaux.” —Head of School Jill Muti
Ask any alumna to name her favorite Ashley Hall memories, and The Christmas Play makes the list more often than not. Now in its 97th year, the annual performance is nearly as old as the School itself and draws together generations of graduates who relish memories of assuming roles of angels, shepherds, and jesters, reciting time-worn lines, and singing a repertoire that embodies the holiday season.
“The fact that you can reconnect so well with your Ashley Hall experience through watching the play makes it so special,” said Assistant Head of School and Upper School Director Anne Weston ’73, who treasures many fond memories of watching and performing in the play. “This year we worked hard to preserve the tradition of The Christmas Play in the face of challenging conditions.”
Historically, the logistics of The Christmas Play have adapted through the years to allow for location changes and staging demands, and the digital version represents the latest of these transformations. While the medium of delivery may change, it is reassuring to know the essence of this beloved tradition remains very much the same.
View the 2020 Christmas Play
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The Christmas Play Alumnae Telegrams
Another special Ashley Hall tradition is the sending of alumnae “telegrams.” Each year, alumnae cast members of The Christmas Play share warm wishes with members of the current cast. Filled with fun memories and loving support, these “telegrams” offer a glimpse into the special bond our alumnae have to their School and each other. Happy reading!
Read the Alumnae Christmas Play Telegrams
Due to Hurricane Florence, Ashley Hall will be closed from Tuesday, September 11 until further notice. This decision follows Governor McMaster’s executive order that calls for the closure of all government and school facilities in Charleston County. All extra-curricular activities, including the Panther Picnic, Extended Day, and sporting events are cancelled during this time. Ashley Hall will closely monitor the situation on the Charleston peninsula and will communicate updates as soon as they become available. For the latest news, please follow our Facebook and Instagram pages, or visit the Learning Commons. Our Ashley Hall family is in our thoughts, and we look forward to having our students back soon. Stay safe everyone!
Bring your spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, nieces, nephews, and siblings for a picnic and Riverdogs game! Mix and mingle pre-game at a fun-filled picnic with hamburgers, hotdogs and all the fixings. First pitch is at 7:05pm when the Charleston Riverdogs take on the Columbia Fireflies. Tickets ensure special seating in Doby’s Deck. Tickets available online until May 25.
Adults | $20
Children 12 and younger | $10
Children 3 and under | FREE
Young Alumnae (Class of 2003 and younger) | $15
Ashley Hall is thrilled to celebrate the life and work of distinguished alumna, Madeleine L’Engle Camp Franklin, class of 1937. L’Engle attended Ashley Hall as a boarding student beginning in 1933 and went on to write the award-winning novel A Wrinkle in Time. Known to her readers as Madeleine L’Engle, her book, A Wrinkle in Time, went on to win the Newbery Award in 1962. This year marks the centennial of L’Engle’s birth as well as a the exciting release of a new major motion picture by Disney of her beloved story, A Wrinkle in Time. We are proud of this Ashley Hall girl.
Click on the button below to learn more about Ashley Hall’s Uniquely Madeleine celebration.
Uniquely Madeleine
From left to right:
Mary Gordon Baker ’77 | Laurie A. Peek ’67 | Rhett Ramsay Outten ’82 | Anne Smith Hutson ’77 |
Dolly Lockwood Lipman ’82
The 2017 Ashley Hall Outstanding Alumnae Award Winners
Mary Gordon Baker ’77 | Crandall Close Bowles ’65 Professional Achievement Award
For more than 30 years, Mary Gordon Baker has elevated the legal profession, both in the public and private sectors. Since 2015, she has served as a federal Magistrate Judge, helping administer two alternative courts. These are the BRIDGE program, which is the first federal drug court in South Carolina, and the REAL program, which is designed to reduce recidivism among high risk federal defendants who are on supervised release from federal prison. She has previously served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Charleston and was a co-editor of a project of the South Carolina Bar, entitled Pattern Jury Instructions for Federal Criminal Cases in the District of South Carolina. She has worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the criminal division and also served as Senior Litigation Counsel and as a Deputy Chief to the Criminal Division while with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. While working in private practice in Columbia, she worked on the Pro Bono subcommittee of the South Carolina Bar and worked with Young Lawyers’ Division of the South Carolina Bar. She has been a frequent lecturer at the National Advocacy Institute in Columbia, South Carolina, the training facility for lawyers in the Department of Justice.
Laurie A. Peek ’67 | Martha Rivers Ingram ’53 Excellence in the Arts Award
Laura is an artist and photographer whose work straddles the line between documentary and fine art. Her photography has been characterized as “finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.” Laurie’s photographs frequently take a closer look at everyday objects and environments. Her unassuming subjects—wet leaves, watery reflections, or even something as simple as a crushed can—help us see our world afresh, transforming the mundane into the magical. She exhibited widely in the Hudson Valley and New York City metro area, including the Blue Hill Art & Cultural Center, Carriage Barn Arts Center, Edward Hopper House Art Center, Gallery 66, Garner Arts Center, Garrison Arts Center, Piermont Flywheel Gallery, Pomona Cultural Center, Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Rockland Center for the Arts, Rockefeller State Park Preserve Art Gallery, and Upstream Gallery. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Brooklyn Paper, City Limits, The Progressive, Soho News, and Village Voice, as well as in film documentaries, including the 2003 Oscar-nominated Tupac-Resurrection and the 2012 Koch.
I am particularly excited to share the news that this year, we have a double hitter. We are honoring two alumnae, who both individually and often together, have devoted countless hours to volunteering and serving their communities, from presiding over boards to manning the phones. In the true spirit of service, they frequently come together as a formidable team – while each stands apart as an inspiration for all of us. And, what’s more, they both happen to be members of my very class of 1982.
Rhett Ramsay Outten ’82 | Co-recipient of the Fern Karesh Hurst ’64 Award
In both Charleston and Greenville, South Carolina, Rhett’s efforts on behalf of her community have been longstanding and legion. She was philanthropy chair of Delta Delta Delta. She has been a member of the Junior League of Greenville since 1988, serving as a nearly new shop volunteer, on the training team task force, as a Dinosauer exhibition volunteer and a sustaining member since 2000. Rhett twice served on the board of the Greenville County Museum of Art Board member, for which she chaired an antique show that raised $490,000. She was involved for several years with Meals on Wheels of Greenville County, she was both a Volunteer and Route driver.
As part of a grassroots after school outreach program from 2005-2009, Rhett provided home cooked meals twice a month and served to the at risk children in Title 1 schools who had no parental supervision. She has also volunteered for Greenville Cancer Society; the Greenville Heart Association; and served on the Parents Council of Christ Church Episcopal School. She has served on numerous boards, including those of the Governor’s Mansion Foundation; the South Carolina Arts Commission; the Gibbes Museum of Art and the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. She was president of the Ashley Hall Alumnae Association Board. What’s more, organizations have come to appreciate Rhett’s secret weapon: It’s simply impossible to say no to her!
Anne Smith Hutson ’77 | Dewar Gordon Holmes Award
Given to an Ashley Hall alumna who has given her time, insights and talents to Ashley Hall, this award honors Dewar Gordon Holmes, a member of the class of 1926. Mrs. Holmes was a faculty member, a mentor for Ashley Hall girls and the first woman to serve as a trustee (Secretary). She also played a pivotal role in the creation of the Ashley Hall Foundation.
This year’s recipient possesses all the qualities of Dewar Gordon Holmes: she is a woman of integrity, outstanding citizenship, and she has given, without reservation, decades of devoted volunteer service to Ashley Hall.
Anne performs any task that is asked of her in an effort to further the mission of our school. This was true as a student, a parent and an alumna. Her senior page in the Spiral was to be a forecast of her years of volunteerism, first as a student and again as a member of the Parents Association and the Alumnae Association. Anne co-chaired the Gala for two years, the Alumnae Capital Campaign, served as Co-Chair for the Food & Beverage Committee in 2011 and has volunteered countless years for the Phone-A-Thon.
Anne and her family have always supported Ashley Hall and she follows this tradition. Her classmates can always count on her selflessness especially as she always offers to host and/or cater her class events.
Dolly Lockwood Lipman ‘82 | Co-recipient of the Fern Karesh Hurst ’64 Award
A little about Dolly…she raises her hand, rolls up her sleeves and rises to every occasion. She has been a very active member of the Junior League since 1989 and is currently on the board of directors, and was honored with the Dee Holmes Norton Sustain Award in 2010. She chaired the Special Sales at the Nearly New Shop in Atlanta for several years, and, after moving back to Charleston in 1998, she started working on the Whale of a Sale, chairing it twice. What’s more, she is member of the Rebecca Motte DAR Chapter, and has served on the board of director there, too. As a board member of the Gibbes Museum Women’s Council, she chaired the inaugural Art of Design six years ago and was served as board president. A member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Dolly was in charge of the Sunday School program for two years and am a member of the Women’s Altar Society. She has even volunteered as a model for Wine, Women and Shoes fundraiser for the Florence Crittendon Home for two years. She has also been a member of the Ashley Hall Alumnae Board for many years—and for the past two years I have been the alumnae weekend chair.
Congratulations to this year’s Ashley Hall Outstanding Alumnae!