Taylor Stockdale's Recent Letters

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  • Plain Living and High Thinking

    Taylor Stockdale
    April 11, 2012

    There is a wonderful expression that Thompson Webb used to say – one which dates back to Sawney Webb and the Tennessee hill country – “Plain Living and High Thinking.” To me, the Vivian Webb Chapel represents this spirit of plain living and high thinking. By building the structure the way he did, Thompson was sending a message to the community. This is a place of Spartan mold where we use our hands, as well as our minds, to build honorable leaders

  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a Global Economy

    Taylor Stockdale
    January 16, 2012

    Dr. King is remembered today and every day for struggling against the cultural legacies of American race-based slavery. He is also remembered for advocating the inclusion of equal rights for all people in the Declaration of Independence, the document that began the United States of America. In 1776, the Declaration was broadcast to the world as a message of hope.

  • The Liberal Arts: A Defense

    Taylor Stockdale
    November 16, 2011

    The current Webb strategic plan states plainly and compellingly: The primary goal of The Webb Schools is “to develop leaders, men and women of character who demonstrate through their actions virtues of enduring worth.” It continues, “The Webb education inspires and nurtures high school boys and girls to become men and women who think creatively and boldly, act with honor and distinction, lead with the courage to do what is right and serve with a generous spirit.” I know of no clearer delineation of the principles of a liberal arts education than this.

  • My Contribution to the Daily Zettabyte

    Taylor Stockdale
    October 11, 2011

    Have you ever heard of a Zettabyte? When I first heard the term, I thought it must be something in our paleontology museum – some type of an extinct marine fossil such as a Trilobite.

  • Remembering 9/11 - Chapel Talk

    Taylor Stockdale
    September 4, 2011

    As the ten-year anniversary of “9-11” approaches, it is important to reflect upon that event and its meaning as we look toward the future. Not to do so is to lose our perspective and our vision, both of which are needed to be good Americans and fully human.

  • Bravo to Our Parents

    Taylor Stockdale
    March 18, 2011

    Last Saturday night, we celebrated Martinis and Moonlight, the theme of this year’s annual spring parent benefit during which we gathered as a community to raise funds for Webb’s continuing excellence. It was a magical evening at the South Hills Country Club with more than 200 parents, faculty and friends in attendance.

  • Dies Mulieres and Men in the Arena

    Taylor Stockdale
    March 3, 2011

    As the week draws to a close, I wanted to reflect a bit on the powerful days of learning which took place on Monday and Tuesday. Most of you know that during these two days, Webb celebrated some important traditions: Men in the Arena for the boys’ school and Dies Mulieres(Day of the Woman) for the girls’ school. To the casual observer, these days might seem a little odd. Why does the Webb community devote itself to honoring the formative differences between boys and girls? How do days such as these contribute to our unique single sex/coeducational community?

  • Webb as a Global Enterprise

    Taylor Stockdale
    February 7, 2011

    Recently I attended a fascinating lecture by Dr. Yong Zhao, Associate Dean for Global Education at the University of Oregon. For those who are not familiar with his work and research, Dr. Zhao is one of a growing number of scholars who challenge the notion that the United States educational system is woefully inadequate when compared to the hard charging, intensely rote schooling systems found in China, India, Korea and other emerging nations.

  • What a Great Education Means to Me

    Taylor Stockdale
    December 9, 2010

    A good education is important – vitally important. It allows you to reason, to calculate, to think creatively, to understand, and have perspective. Grounded in the liberal arts, it can provide the historical context to evaluate and detect patterns, to judge and formulate sound self-government. Pursuits in the arts drive the heart of our language and culture. Studies in science and math are the very foundations of medicine and engineering which of course lead to innovation, product conceptualization, design, and manufacturing which eventually leads to economic growth and development.