Under his 25-year leadership the school not only survived a turbulent time after abandoning the military component, but it also grew into one of the nation's elite private college preparatory schools. I managed to learn so much in my first five or six years, that I managed to keep it all together. I felt it was a lot like conducting a symphony. You've got quiet periods and loud periods.
Different things come to the forefront.
A year is never the same as the year before, and if you're just playing one style, you're gonna lose it. At the May 15 retirement celebration held in his honor, Spencer McCallie III closed out the night as only a truly great headmaster could, moving the audience to remember McCallie's mission for young men and the future. He had his grandson Spencer Gardner walk up to the podium and, lifting the boy up, spoke of how the school would be dramatically better at the end of the next decade when Spencer Gardner graduates than it is now. Alumni might best remember Spencer McCallie III for his humor and relaxed but strong presence, but also for the keen ability to be both focused in the present yet also maintain a clear vision of what the future brings. But that is just a quick soundbyte for the dozens of changes that have occured over the course of his time at the helm.