50th Timeline: 1985 – John Brown Becomes Fourth Head of School

In the last entry, we learned that Alex Horsley had accepted another Headship and would be leaving.  Thankfully for the transition to a new Head of School, Dorothy Kramme agreed to continue as clerk of the Board.  The Board of Trustees asked longtime teacher Alice Wisor to serve as Acting Head of School during the search process.  One student remembered Alice for her straightforward approach and direct mentorship, saying she “straightened me out” and “talked turkey to me when I needed it.”  The search concluded fairly quickly, and the Board named John Brown the fourth Head of School, and he formally took up his position in July of 1985. There was both excitement and concern about the new Head.  There had been many staff changes in recent years, and Friends School was falling further behind local public schools in benefits and faculty compensation. In addition to these difficult circumstances, John wasn’t a Quaker and was quite a bit younger than previous Heads.  To add further fuel to the fire, the Board had stepped more than usual into the administrative side after Alex resigned, and this had further increased tensions within the faculty. As John sought to put things back on track, he credited Alice with helping him in the transition, noting that she was “supportive, fair, trustworthy” and “did all she could to help me.”  Eventually, John noted that “the faculty relaxed” and “we began to have fun together.”