About Hooper Hall

The Naming of Hooper Hall

Jann Gates, Board Co-Chair, gave a moving presentation about the naming of the new, permanent Multi-Purpose building as Hooper Hall, in honor of Justine Hooper. Please read the following biography, followed by some questions and answers:

Justine Hooper (1921 – 2003) had a deep appreciation for beauty in nature and the arts. She was an environmentalist and advocate for sustainable stewardship of natural resources. Education was her greatest lifelong interest in her roles as mother of five children, grandmother of nine, visionary world citizen, and philanthropist. She wanted young people to be nurtured in their development and feel inspired to become pioneering contributors to their local communities, to humankind and to the stewardship of the global physical environment. As the mother of a growing family, she joined a parent initiative to establish an independent school in her community. When she saw needs in the fledging school, she rolled up her own sleeves and helped provide the solutions. Hooper started the book drives and fundraising for the school library and joined other mothers who cooked vegetable soup for the children in the early days of the school. She was a founding and guiding member of the Board of Trustees and her service extended over four decades.

Justine Hooper felt an especially close connection to the Santa Fe Waldorf School where two of her grandchildren were enrolled for kindergarten, elementary and middle school. She quickly identified with the holistic view of human development in the Waldorf pedagogy. She recognized a curriculum that seamlessly integrated human knowledge with the fine and practical arts. The school’s environmental and cross-cultural awareness made deep sense to Hooper. On several occasions she enjoyed the festivities of Grandparents’ Day. Over several decades, Justine Hooper and her family have become the most generous and abiding philanthropists our school has known.

At the college level, Justine Hooper provided vital trustee leadership at a women’s college in her community by establishing honors scholarships, promoting fine arts education, and funding the construction of studio art facilities. In addition, she contributed her time and resources helping to found and sustain an innovative, co-educational college in Maine, where students design their own interdisciplinary course of study in human ecology, environmental studies, and the arts.

Justine Hooper created a living example of her principles:

Cultivate beauty.
Sustain nature’s bounty.
Express the human spirit through creativity.
Nurture children wisely and with love.
Strengthen communities through good will and cooperation.

The Santa Fe Waldorf School community is pleased to honor her life and example by naming our new building Hooper Hall.

How did the process unfold to arrive at the name, Hooper Hall?
A request was brought forward recently to the Philanthropic Development committee by one of Justine’s children, someone we know and love in our school community, who has always wished to remain anonymous. The PDC discussed the suggestion. With the full support of the PDC, the suggestion was brought to the Executive Committee of the Board for consultation and support. With the support of the Executive Committee, the proposal was brought to both the College of Teachers and the Board of Trustees for their blessing and approval. Both the College and the Board approved that the new building be named Hooper Hall, in honor of Justine Hooper.

Has our School ever named something after an individual?
Yes, there exists, in name only thus far, the Currier Memorial Grove, in honor of Michael Currier, beloved parent, Board Chair and philanthropist, who cared deeply for our school and died suddenly in 1998.

Why name a building after an individual? Do other Waldorf Schools name buildings after individuals?
Yes, it is a time-honored custom in educational institutions that they can be named after someone. There are customary protocols around the naming of buildings that often involve the offering of financial support for a large portion of the building. The San Francisco Waldorf School, to name one, has several examples of this at their school. This marks an important step in our growth, particularly as we look ahead to a long-range plan with an expanded campus over the years ahead.

Why was the name “Hall” chosen?
The term “hall” is often used in educational institutions and can be used for classrooms, dormitories, or assembly halls. It seems fitting that “hall” be used to describe our new building that may, over several generations, serve different purposes.

History

In 2007-2008, the Board of Trustees set as their highest priority to facilitate the completion of the current Master Plan. The construction of Hooper Hall will build out the remaining 4,880 square feet of the current Master Plan.

Two working groups were formed last year: the Physical Space Needs Working Group and the Site Projects Management Team. The Physical Space Needs Working Group met weekly during the fall, winter and spring of 2006-2007. It was composed of subject teachers, class teachers, Board members, administrative staff members, and College members. The needs of the entire Grade School campus were taken into consideration. Leland Stearns, a past Board Chair and architect with experience in Anthroposophical architecture, was contacted. He was the architect for the 5th and 6th Grade building and had shepherded the current Master Plan through the county processes in the early 1990s. For more information on his work, visit http://www.stearnsarchitecture.com .

Last year, the College and the Board mandated an administrative team, the Site Projects Management Team, to oversee and manage all the site projects that were underway— the Grades 1-4 fire suppression system and fire alarm system upgrade; the Preschool’s possible move to the Wagon Wheel Road location (still pending); replacement of the temporary building; and shepherding the process for the build-out of the remaining square footage of the current Master Plan, which includes consultation with county and state officials.

Current News

In the past several months, we have engaged in discussions with new and long-standing supporters of the school to develop plans and set goals. We are pleased to begin our campaign with a challenge grant of $600,000 and additional pledges of $100,000. Spring 2008 is considered to be the “quite phase” of the campaign, which will go public in the fall of 2008. Donations of building and construction supplies are being sought the summer of 2008. We thank Brian McPartlon and Marcy Heller of McParlton Roofing for making a pledge to assist us with Hooper Hall’s roof.

Please contact Tamara Bates for more information about the campaign at 992-1086 or 490-0311.