The sun shone upon the Gelb Science Center, the Phillips Academy Board of Trustees, administration, and the Division of Natural Sciences as they gathered to celebrate the opening of the building and to commemorate the death of Trustee Emeritus Richard Gelb ’41. The dedication ceremony began with a moving invocation delivered by Protestant Chaplain and Director of Alumni Affairs Michael Ebner ’70. “Its not simply the buildings we give thanks for,” said Rev. Ebner, “it is goodness in every sense.” President of the Board of Trustees David Underwood ’54 also delivered a touching oratory. “When I think of the example he [Richard Gelb] set… I am reminded of the difference one person can make.” School President Allegra Asplundh-Smith ’04 expressed the appreciation of the student body. She said that, as a gift between generations, the new science center manifests the Andover ideal of “generosity and faith of the Andover community.” Asplundh-Smith also said that the new glass-enclosed staircase represents the quest for knowledge and that the glass metaphorically protects this journey. Larry Gelb ’69, the son of Richard Gelb ’41, then spoke about his father and introduced his father’s classmate Donald Marshman ’41. The high point of the ceremony came when Mr. Marshman delivered an adapted version of the speech that the late Mr. Gelb was supposed to deliver when he retired from his position as a Charter Trustee in 1994 describing his experiences as an Andover student. The speech included descriptive anecdotes relating to Mr. Gelb’s experiences on the Andover campus. For the full text of the speech, see page A2. The dedication ceremony closed with a performance by the Fidelio Society and a speech by Head of School Barbara Chase, who extended the school’s thanks to donors and contractors and invited the audience to a private lunch in Commons.
