MUS Honors Five Retirees
The school community gathered to honor retiring teachers and staff members whose careers have been defined by decades of service, leadership, and dedication during a chapel service May 8.
Collectively, Mrs. Sally Askew, Mr. Perry Dement, Mrs. Nancy Gates, Mrs. Pam Haney, and Mrs. Elizabeth Hopper represent 106 years of service to the school.
Headmaster Pete Sanders opened the program by introducing Director of Technology John Simi to speak about his longtime friend, Mrs. Haney, who has served as registrar for the past 10 years. Simi described someone who worked behind the scenes with quiet but essential impact. When Haney discovered years of paper records in the Upper School vault, she took action that extended beyond her regular duties.
“She began researching what would be needed to digitize those records to make them easier to store, locate, and reproduce,” Simi said. “Challenge accepted and delivery exceeded. Today, all our old records are electronic and readily available. As you can see, throughout her career, Pam has never stopped evolving, never stopped learning, and never stopped serving.”
Next, Assistant Head for Advancement Perry Dement was honored by Board Chair Will Thompson ’95 with a board resolution designating him faculty emeritus. Sanders spoke about Dement’s contributions to the school over 30 years, including his direction of Bold Vision Bright Future, a $200 million campaign – with $113.8 million committed to date – that has made possible the construction of the Arts and Sciences Center.
“Most in our community do not realize the quality and volume of work undertaken by our Advancement Department. Mr. Dement not only directs fundraising but also our Communications and Alumni and Parent Programs,” Sanders said.
Faculty retirements followed, beginning with Mrs. Sally Askew, who has taught English and overseen the English Lab since 2007. After Thompson read excerpts from her resolution and designated her faculty emerita, Elizabeth Colbeck, Hess Chair of Excellence in English, delivered a Homerian-style tribute, referring to Askew as bright-eyed goddess Athena. Colbeck quoted Lower School Dean of Students Joe Tyler, who said, “If MUS English Lab were live-streamed, it would be the highest-rated show of all time. People would pay a premium to watch Mrs. Askew work her magic.”
She relayed Headmaster Emeritus Ellis Haguewood’s observation, “Many boys now men laud her as the catalyst for their ability and determination to turn the academic corner and stay the course until graduation.”
Mrs. Nancy Gates was honored for her tenure beginning in 1998, during which she served as department chair and held the Donald Bailey Wiener Chair of Mathematics. In his reading of her resolution, Thompson noted that “Mrs. Gates’ superpower is teaching precalculus and calculus as evidenced by the fact that 93% of her Owl AP Calculus BC students have earned the top score of 5 on their exam and she has had 12 years of all 5’s.” Fellow Math Instructor Loyal Murphy ’86 solicited comments from past students, including Carter Wildrick ’26, who said, “I’ll never forget the way she would jump up and down at the whiteboard and say, ‘Oh guys, this is just so cool.’ She’s truly the image of a teacher in love with her subject, and she’s mastered the ability to bestow this love upon her students.”
Finally, Mrs. Elizabeth Hopper was recognized for her service since 2007 as a mathematics instructor and DECA advisor. After Thompson read excerpts from her resolution, Mathematics Department Chair Chris Fiano described a kind and wise teacher and colleague who has been the “backbone of the geometry program.”
“Elizabeth is a real encourager to her fellow math faculty but also to her students. Elizabeth loves ‘her boys.’ She brags on them when they get the right answer on a difficult problem and when they do well on her quizzes and tests. She has helped me out in so many ways. She’s a great listener! I will miss her greatly.”
The ceremony concluded with gratitude for all five honorees and their combined impact on decades of school life. Then friends and family gathered in Thomas Amphitheater for photos.
See photos from the retiree chapel HERE.
Watch a video of the event HERE.
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Headmaster Pete Sanders opened the program by introducing Director of Technology John Simi to speak about his longtime friend, Mrs. Haney, who has served as registrar for the past 10 years. Simi described someone who worked behind the scenes with quiet but essential impact. When Haney discovered years of paper records in the Upper School vault, she took action that extended beyond her regular duties.
“She began researching what would be needed to digitize those records to make them easier to store, locate, and reproduce,” Simi said. “Challenge accepted and delivery exceeded. Today, all our old records are electronic and readily available. As you can see, throughout her career, Pam has never stopped evolving, never stopped learning, and never stopped serving.”
Next, Assistant Head for Advancement Perry Dement was honored by Board Chair Will Thompson ’95 with a board resolution designating him faculty emeritus. Sanders spoke about Dement’s contributions to the school over 30 years, including his direction of Bold Vision Bright Future, a $200 million campaign – with $113.8 million committed to date – that has made possible the construction of the Arts and Sciences Center.
“Most in our community do not realize the quality and volume of work undertaken by our Advancement Department. Mr. Dement not only directs fundraising but also our Communications and Alumni and Parent Programs,” Sanders said.
Faculty retirements followed, beginning with Mrs. Sally Askew, who has taught English and overseen the English Lab since 2007. After Thompson read excerpts from her resolution and designated her faculty emerita, Elizabeth Colbeck, Hess Chair of Excellence in English, delivered a Homerian-style tribute, referring to Askew as bright-eyed goddess Athena. Colbeck quoted Lower School Dean of Students Joe Tyler, who said, “If MUS English Lab were live-streamed, it would be the highest-rated show of all time. People would pay a premium to watch Mrs. Askew work her magic.”
She relayed Headmaster Emeritus Ellis Haguewood’s observation, “Many boys now men laud her as the catalyst for their ability and determination to turn the academic corner and stay the course until graduation.”
Mrs. Nancy Gates was honored for her tenure beginning in 1998, during which she served as department chair and held the Donald Bailey Wiener Chair of Mathematics. In his reading of her resolution, Thompson noted that “Mrs. Gates’ superpower is teaching precalculus and calculus as evidenced by the fact that 93% of her Owl AP Calculus BC students have earned the top score of 5 on their exam and she has had 12 years of all 5’s.” Fellow Math Instructor Loyal Murphy ’86 solicited comments from past students, including Carter Wildrick ’26, who said, “I’ll never forget the way she would jump up and down at the whiteboard and say, ‘Oh guys, this is just so cool.’ She’s truly the image of a teacher in love with her subject, and she’s mastered the ability to bestow this love upon her students.”
Finally, Mrs. Elizabeth Hopper was recognized for her service since 2007 as a mathematics instructor and DECA advisor. After Thompson read excerpts from her resolution, Mathematics Department Chair Chris Fiano described a kind and wise teacher and colleague who has been the “backbone of the geometry program.”
“Elizabeth is a real encourager to her fellow math faculty but also to her students. Elizabeth loves ‘her boys.’ She brags on them when they get the right answer on a difficult problem and when they do well on her quizzes and tests. She has helped me out in so many ways. She’s a great listener! I will miss her greatly.”
The ceremony concluded with gratitude for all five honorees and their combined impact on decades of school life. Then friends and family gathered in Thomas Amphitheater for photos.
See photos from the retiree chapel HERE.
Watch a video of the event HERE.
Embracing a Bold Vision. Building a Bright Future.
Memphis University School is a college-preparatory, independent, day school for boys in Grades 6-12.
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