Clark Groome '60

Clark joined CHA in 1947 as Class of 1961, and attended through 8th grade, when he moved to Pomfret  and graduated from there. He eventually found his way back to the school to become the first CHA Director of Development. Clearly this was the kind of work that tapped into Clark’s strengths and his love of people and making connections.

Clark oversaw the merger of the Women’s Advisory Committee and the Chestnut Hill Academy Fathers into the CHA Parents Association. He wrote and distributed all CHA press releases, and published all CHA publications (The CHA News, admissions brochures, etc). He was the business advisor to The Players and to the Caerulean in 1976, 1977, and 1978.

In 1978, he completed the odd achievement of leaving to become Director of Development at Abington Friends School and being named as the CHA Alumnus of the Year.

During Barnaby Roberts and Richard Parker’s headmasterships he wrote some PR for the school and also did some writing for The CHA News. Throughout this period he wrote articles about CHA for the Chestnut Hill Local – most memorably are the interviews with the headmasters and Springside headmistresses, stories about the emerging CHA Athletic Hall of Fame, and articles about the renovation of the third floor as well as the sharing of that space with Springside during the renovation of its Upper School.
 
Development is also the kind of work that really embeds a person in the life of the school, as you learn the many stories that make up the history of the school, and you become a teller of those stories. Gerrit Keator wrote:

“Clark has been a very, very enthusiastic and loyal school man over many decades as SCH has recognized by bestowing this significant award on him. During my years at CHA, he worked diligently in what is now known as the Advancement Office. He quickly learned the dynamics of relationships amongst all the constituencies of the Academy. It was expected that they would contribute time and treasure to build upon the school’s foundation to take it to a higher level — and they did so. Kudos to Clark then, and today as well!”

For the school’s 2011 sesquicentennial, Clark wrote the CHA history. Written over four years, the eight-chapter work appeared in issues of CHAnnels, the successor to The CHA News.

In 2010 he rejoined the CHA Alumni Association Executive Board and since 2012 has served as the secretary and chairman of the awards committee. 

The care Clark always showed in the awards process and making sure that the right people received the right awards was emblematic of his keen sense of the importance of all of our school values, but especially integrity and loyalty.