Just as Humphrey was beginning her
career at Latin, English teacher Greg
Baker, with support from the upper
school administration, started to explore
opportunities for students to investigate
topics in greater depth than the school
schedule allowed. In 1972, the school
launched May Week (later Project Week),
incorporating the sixth-grade trip to
Springfield and the eighth-grade trip to
Washington D.C., that had already been
happening for a number of years. Upper
school students of the '70s were exposed
to travel, film, home improvement and a
variety of other projects.
When he arrived in the fall of 1970
to chair the History Department, Steve
Sommers discovered almost a blank canvas.
Sommers had recently completed his Ph.D.
course work in American Studies at the
University of Kansas, and his expertise was
in interdisciplinary teaching. "I came in for
an interview with Edwin Van Gorder. It was
going well, and at some point I asked what
position they would like me to fill, thinking
he would tell me it was to teach history or
urban studies or even literature." Van Gorder
responded that he was looking for someone
to chair the History Department. "When
he saw the astonished look on my face, he
Greg Baker
"Other than our parents, whom we certainly didn't countenance properly
then, Greg [Baker] was the first adult who thought we were funny, who paid
attention to what we said and thought what we said was worthwhile. He gave
vision to our dreams and somehow enabled us to open the book that was ourselves,
however we might choose to read it, and no matter how we chose to read it, it was
better read for having been opened by him."
– Tim Joyce '74
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L AT I N M AGAZINE
