On Oct. 22, guest speaker Robert Decherd ’69 spoke at an Upper School assembly. Decherd, son of H. Ben Decherd, went to Havard and served as chairman and executive officer of Belo, which was a media company based in Dallas. Serving on the board of trustees from 1978 to 1998 and being named a life trustee in 2004, Decherd’s contributions to the school influenced him being selected to speak in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Decherd Fine Arts Center.
“I think it’s important to look back over the last 50 years to see where St. Mark’s was … and where we are going to go for the next 50 years,” Ahlberg & Ribman Family Director of Alumni Relations Jack Mallick said. “It gives you an opportunity to look back, to celebrate, to remember and then also to dream for the future.”
The assembly last Tuesday consisted of a conversation between Headmaster David Dini and Decherd that went over the school’s past and its transition into the school’s modern period.
“The institutional aspect of a school, like any organization, is truly important,” Decherd said. “What we were able to observe as students was the care with which the, then, members of the board of trustees and administration developed ambitions for the school.”
Apart from the changes the school experienced as it developed over the years, the creation of the ‘campus master plan’ was discussed. Images comparing the past campus to the present were displayed. Overall, the assembly gave an excellent example of the character that drove the school’s development.
“The school’s concept of character and leadership and how that applies in your personal and professional lives is extraordinarily important,” Decherd said.
