George S. Loening '84
The investment newsletter that Mr. Loening began writing in his Deerfield dorm room his sophomore year in 1982 ultimately led to his founding Select Equity Group in 1990. Today, Select Equity manages over $35 billion dollars in US and international public equities, private equity and venture capital, serving foundation, endowment, corporate and public pension, individual and sovereign fund clients. Select Equity has over 200 employees located in offices in New York City, London, Chicago, Toronto, Seattle and Washington DC.
In addition to Mr. Loening’s extensive personal philanthropic efforts, Select Equity and its Foundation have donated more than $130 million to charity through a unique employee-directed giving process; Select Equity’s employees are each given money every year that they have to give away to a charity of their choice but are required to tell their colleagues why the cause is important to them and the due diligence that they performed to determine which organization to support.
Mr. Loening currently serves on the boards of Claflin University and the International African American Museum in Charleston. Among many others, he is an active supporter of The Bowery Mission, The Doe Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, Heterodox Academy, the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, the NRDC’s Oceans Program, Open Space Institute, and Success Academy. His greatest pride and joy are his wife and five children.
Prior to Commencement, Dean of Faculty (and incoming St. Mark’s School Head) Dr. Ivory Hills delivered this year’s Baccalaureate address.
Make room reservations well in advance. Seasoned Deerfield parents know that lodging in Deerfield and the surrounding area fills up early for the Memorial Day weekend. You’ll find plenty of choices in the area by searching for rooms in the 01342 zip code or checking DA’s lodging page.
Parents receive a box of 10 invitations to commencement. In the case of divorced parents, Deerfield Academy sends each parent a box of invitations. In this instance, we expect two separate registrations for the graduating senior.
Parents should use the RSVP link on this webpage to register for commencement. One parent will be the main registrant and, in their registration, they can add up to 9 additional guests. There should be one registration submitted per graduating student. In the case of separated parents, we expect two separate registrations for the graduating senior.
While Deerfield has never capped the number of guests per graduate, we hope that 10 invitations are sufficient. Please contact Tessa Doubleday (tdoubleday@deerfield.edu) if you need more invitations. Extended family members are welcome to all events planned by the Advancement office.
Accessible seating it available under the Commencement tent. Be sure to indicate on your registration if you or a guest wishes to sit in this area during commencement. Accessible seating is for the guest in need plus one additional person.
What you see on the screen is available livestream and also recorded. Video playback is posted within days of the end of Commencement. There will be professional photographers on hand to get a shot of your children as they walk up and when they receive their diploma. If you decide you want more photos, you can take shots from your seat. After the ceremony, you will want a family photo in front of the door at John Williams dorm.
With a variety of activities going on over the weekend, you may want to bring a couple of different selections of semi-casual attire.
| · Class Dinner Dance: “festive” attire – no tie required |
| · Commencement: coat/tie, dresses, or nice pants and top |
| · Student attire for the Commencement ceremony: blue blazer white shirt, khakis, and class tie or white dresses. |
Please note that New England weather is famous for its unpredictability. Layering your clothing is recommended, and be prepared for rain as well. The average temperature range for May is between 69℉ (high) and 45℉ (low) (21° to 7° Celsius).
Deerfield Academy encourages day students to stay on campus after the Senior Class Meeting. Those who plan to go home should plan with the Dean’s office ahead of time. Keep in the mind that Massachusetts restricts drivers under the age of 19 from operating a motor vehicle between the hours of 12:30 – 5 am.
There are always plenty of places to park. When you arrive to campus, follow the directions of security. Also, don’t forget that if you have any guests who will need extra help getting around, please indicate that in your registration.
The Commencement Tent opens promptly at 9 am. Sections including accessible seating, will be set aside for graduating seniors, underclassmen, faculty, trustees, and guests. Before the weekend, Deerfield will provide you with a diagram indicating the sections for guest seating. Large screens at the front of the tent will provide you with the best view of the event, including the Commencement walk down Albany Road. There really is no bad seat in the tent!
Graduating seniors line up on the lawn between the Field and McAlister dorms. At 9:45 am, they begin their procession down Albany Road, which will be broadcast on the screen in the tent. The path will be lined by undergraduate students. Guests are asked to be respectful, allowing plenty of room for the cavalcade to comfortably enter the tent.
Seniors must be moved out of the dorms and be off campus by 2 pm. This allows for underclassmen to continue with their activities.