To celebrate her role in the merger of Abbot and Phillips Academies, as well as her 41 years as a teacher, the outdoor classroom of Bulfinch Hall was dedicated to Faculty Emeritus in English, Jean St. Pierre, on Tuesday. St. Pierre retired in 2004. Students, faculty and alumni gathered outside of Bulfinch to hear tributes by Jeff Domina, Chair in English, Meredith Price, Faculty Emeritus, and Mary Fulton, Instructor in English. Pierre made the trip from her home on Cape Cod for the dedication. Domina said that during the renovation, the English Department looked for a way to honor St. Pierre, and the Outdoor Classroom seemed like a perfect fit. It is located directly outside St. Pierre’s former classroom, now Room 107 after the renovation, according to Domina.
Pierre was one of the few faculty members at Abbot who was hired to continue teaching English at Phillips Academy. She is the only woman to have served as chair of the English Department, according to Domina. In 2004, she also received the McKeen Award, which is an award given to a member of the Phillips Academy community who exemplifies “inspired and dedicated leadership in education” in spirit of Philena McKeen, former principal of Abbot Academy, according to the Andover website. The Abbot Academy Association provided the funding for this part of the project, according to Domina.
