Foxcroft Academy dedicates Mary Kammerer Fittig Humanities Wing

DOVER-FOXCROFT — On Saturday, Aug. 15, the doors of the Mary Kammerer Fittig Humanities Wing were open to the public for the first time. Foxcroft Academy Head of School Arnold Shorey took the opportunity to celebrate the newest addition to campus and to thank those who made it possible.

Shorey first highlighted a few of the wing’s many attributes, emphasizing the wing’s much-needed additional classroom space, 21st century furnishings, and enclosed walkway that allows students to travel to the Industrial and Fine Arts Building without having to go outside.

Photo courtesy of Foxcroft Academy

HUMANITIES WING RIBBON CUTTING — The Mary Kammerer Fittig Humanities Wing at Foxcroft Academy was formally opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 15. From left is Dwayne Littlefield of contractor E.W. Littlefield & Sons,  architect Jason Merriam, wing namesake Mary Kammerer Fittig, Board of Trustees President Dr. Richard Swett and John Wentworth, president of the buildings and grounds committee.

Shorey was quick to acknowledge that the addition would not have been possible without tremendous support from the many major stakeholders in the project. He first expressed gratitude for a Board of Trustees that is “dedicated to the Academy’s mission and students” and called Dr. Richard Swett, Trustees president, to the podium.

Dr. Swett thanked the benevolence of those that donated to the project, equating philanthropy with gardening. Swett likened gifts to seeds that are planted with faith that they will one day grow into something and expressed confidence that the new wing “will allow the next generations to grow into the future.”

John Wentworth, president of the buildings and grounds committee, was called to the podium next by Shorey, who recognized the committee’s commitment to “enhancing the educational experience for all students and staff.”

Wentworth applauded the other members of his committee, acknowledged the wing’s functionality, and added that “while it is not the biggest building on campus, it may be the most spectacular,” calling attention to the building’s beauty.

Responsible for the building’s beautiful aesthetics were architect Jason Merriam and contractor E.W. Littlefield & Sons, Inc. Both Merriam and the Littlefields have worked with Foxcroft Academy in the past. Merriam was also the architect of the Lodge dormitory, cafeteria renovation, and Mary Kammerer Fittig sign. Merriam was in attendance and pointed to the positive nature of the project, saying “it was a privilege to work with Foxcroft Academy on such a project.”

This sentiment was shared by the management of E.W. Littlefield & Sons, who also constructed Foxcroft Academy’s English/Band Wing in 1988. Dwayne Littlefield, son of E.W., said he and his brother were “extremely proud to say that they’ve connected a building to one their father built.”

Shorey expressed how essential it was to have an architect like Merriam and a contractor like E.W. Littlefield & Sons, Inc.

Next, Shorey thanked all donors and gave special recognition to: the Walton Family, who donated the naming gift for the first-floor classroom in memory of Keith and Mabel (Class of 1941) Washburn Parkman; Jane and Charlie (‘60) Hibbard Merrill, who donated the classroom furnishings; and the estates of Frederick J. Robbins (‘41) and Rebecca Rowe Engdahl ( ‘52.)

Shorey closed the ceremony with a very special thanks to Mary Kammerer Fittig, who he called a “rare and incredible lady, who is so generous and kindhearted with a drive to give back to young people.” Fittig is a tremendous friend of Foxcroft Academy, having established the H.G. Fittig and wife Mary Kammerer Fittig Scholarship Fund (established in loving memory of her parents Ada and Gerard Kammerer), the H.G. Fittig and wife Mary Kammerer Fittig Technical and Trade School Scholarship Fund (established in fond memory of H. Bartley Rollins), as well as giving the naming gifts for the electronic sign, the garden around the sign, and now the $200,000 naming gift for the Mary Kammerer Fitting Humanities Wing.

Fittig spent her career as an elementary school teacher working with disadvantaged youth in the inner city of New York, where she specialized in literacy. She knows first hand that education provides opportunity, and she has given back as a way of, in her words, “investing in humankind.”

Thanks to all those involved in the Mary Kammerer Fittig Humanities Wing project, Foxcroft Academy will start the 2015-16 school year with a beautiful new learning space that will long pay dividends on the investments made in Foxcroft Academy’s students by Fittig and all contributors.

Photo courtesy of Foxcroft Academy

THANKS FOR ALL SHE DOES FOR FA — During a ceremony to open Foxcroft Academy’s Mary Kammerer Fittig Humanities Wing, Head of School recognized Fittig for all she has done for the secondary school.

Photo courtesy of Foxcroft Academy

A NEW LOOK FOR SCHOOL — When students return to Foxcroft Academy in several weeks they will be able to attend classes in the new Mary Kammerer Fittig Humanities Wing.