The Origins of Deerfield’s first indoor hockey rink – 1956-57, recorded by Merrill Magowan:
“I was there for the “solicitation”. It was March 1956, spring vacation. As always, Mr. and Mrs. Boyden went to Florida; they always stayed two nights with my grandfather in Palm Beach, following some time with Mrs. Reed in Hobe Sound. Mrs. Boyden always came down the stairs before the Head, if only to consume her only alcoholic drink of the year, a daiquiri prepared by my grandfather’s faithful servant of 40 years, Leroy. He would ask her if she wanted her “usual” and then swiftly do her bidding. Shortly thereafter, the Head would come down, shoot a curious look at his wife, and order his usual coke. On that fateful March evening, my grandfather asked the Head, “How did the winter term go?” and the Head responded, “We had a great winter, the boys are getting into the colleges of their choice, the squash team where Merrill played almost went undefeated, however the poor hockey team, they could not practice because we had a warm winter, and could not make any ice, and they played against Exeter, Andover and Choate, and all those schools have artificial hockey rinks, and they did not stand a chance. “So”, my grandfather then asked, “How much does it cost for a new hockey rink?”
And that is how the rink came to be. My grandfather later told me that Mr. Boyden had never asked him directly for a gift. It was always the indirect method. He died seven months later, but not before writing the check”
From Joe Twichell
1956