A Fond Farewell to Tom Rogers ’73

The George School community will say goodbye to Tom Rogers ’73 after forty-five and a half years of dedicated work and love to its community.

Tom rejoined the community in February of 1976 as a hall teacher in Orton Dormitory and math substitute/intern while he was finishing his degree at Temple University. Over the years, Tom became a full-time teacher in the math department where he earned a reputation as a knowledgeable, patient, kind, and supportive teacher who created a calm and productive atmosphere where students gained confidence and mastery.

He also took on many additional roles and responsibilities throughout his tenure at George School. These included becoming a trusted and supportive advisor; coaching track, swimming, and archery; serving as audio visual coordinator; SAT coordinator; a class sponsor, sponsor of the outing club, and supervisor of the American Friends Service Committee service project. Tom also served as the head coach for the swim team – winning some championships in the early 90s—and then again later in his career. He remained connected to the team throughout the years always helping with the complex scoring of meets, as he also did for cross country and track and field events.

He also served as clerk of important school committees including, Database Policies and Issues (DPIG), Clerk of Faculty Concerns (of which he was also a member for many years), Clerk of Faculty, Clerk/Coordinator of Middle States Accreditation, and Clerk of Discipline Committee where his alignment with Friends’ principles and practices were exemplified through his thoughtfulness, professionalism, and leadership.

Always pitching in to help, Tom’s tech support was deeply appreciated by community members as well. For his commitment to excellence and widespread service throughout the community, Tom was named Swayne Preceptor in 2009-2012. His reputation as George School’s computer wizard allowed him to become the sponsor of a computing club, teach computing skills, and become the computer training coordinator working with faculty and staff in the 80s. Tom’s role expanded by the late 80s to Computer Systems Manager and then Academic Office Systems Manager, while also taking on special projects in the Business and Admission offices, which led to him eventually becoming the Database Administrator for George School.

His patient and kind service-oriented mindset made him a pleasure to collaborate with and made the experiences and interactions of end-users pleasant, productive, and efficient. His wisdom, experience in the community, and knowledge of the school allowed him to understand others’ needs, anticipate their issues, and create custom applications and procedures that were specially tailored for George School—always thorough, complete, and accurate.

“Tom has been an embodiment of our school’s Quaker values, a weighty Friend, and influential role model for adults and students alike,” said Associate Head of School Scott Spence. “We all thank you for your forty-five and a half years of dedicated work and love in this community. We are especially grateful for the many ways you have taught our community to understand itself more deeply and be true to its mission. We will miss you and wish you all the best in your retirement.”

The community will honor Tom during a ceremony at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2022 for Alumni Weekend.