Culbert Hall was dedicated on Friday, October 17, the building a brick-and-mortar tribute to former Head of School Sheila Culbert, who built today’s school in many ways during her 16 years as its leader. She retired in 2024.

“The list of accomplishments during Sheila’s time here is nearly endless, and we are still seeing the fruits of her labor today,” Chair of the Board of Trustees Duncan A.L. MacLean ’90 said at the dedication of the residence hall, which opened for the 2024–25 school year and was made possible through the generosity of Trustee Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan ’87 and her husband, Patrick Scanlan.

Head of School Jody Reilly Soja welcomed those in attendance, which included Sheila; her husband, Richard Wright; their son, Matthew Culbert, and his partner, Rachel Petrone; and current and former faculty. Speakers included Jody, Duncan, Mary, Culbert Hall dorm head Ned Heckman, Culbert Hall resident assistants (RAs) juniors Natalie Periera and Eli Samberg; and Trustee Doug Lyons ’82, chair of the board’s Building and Grounds Committee. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Sheila spoke, thanking all those who made the residence hall possible and all who now steward the dorm. 

Sheila said her hope is that Culbert Hall will be a home where generations of students discover themselves, challenge themselves, and find the friendships and mentors that last a lifetime. “May it be a place,” she said, “where curiosity is encouraged, compassion is practiced, and possibility made real. So thank you to everyone. Thank you for this extraordinary honor. I will always carry it with gratitude and humility.”

Among the many accomplishments during Sheila’s tenure, Duncan mentioned the increase in the percentage of boarding students to reach the current ratio of 70 percent boarding students and 30 percent day students; the school’s becoming more selective in the admission process, with the acceptance rate narrowing from about 45 percent to 17 percent; the creation of four centers, the Kravis Center for Excellence in Teaching, the Norton Family Center for the Common Good, the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies, and the Pearse Hub for Innovation; and a significant increase in the school’s endowment.

Sheila’s many successful initiatives as head of school made choosing a name for the newest residence hall an easy choice, said Mary Scanlan, whose philanthropy over the last decade has included her lead support of the Scanlan Campus Center, her establishment of an endowed fund for teacher compensation, and her support of the financial aid endowment, including her providing the matching dollars for the Scanlan Financial Aid Initiative and her establishment of an endowed scholarship. 

“There was only one name that felt right when naming this building,” Mary told the crowd. After all, she said, Sheila had taken the boarding/day ratio to where it now is. “This increase was accomplished through raising money for two other dormitories during her tenure: Richmond Hall and Cutler Hall. It also took incredible vision, perseverance, and strategic thinking.”

All of this, Mary said, has elevated Loomis Chaffee’s reputation as a top boarding school, “and it has given my family and me great pleasure to be a part of this evolution.”

Across the road from Culbert Hall are the Meadows, the Farmington and Connecticut rivers, and the trails on which Sheila walked her dogs and took photos of birds and wildlife. Even on this day she had arrived early and, with Richard, walked on the Loop Road overlooking the Meadows and the Cow Pond, wondering what birds she might see. Indeed, she had her camera with her.

To the right of the dorm sits Founders Hall, inside of which is Sheila’s portrait painted by Robert Anderson ’64. An avid reader and a dog lover, Sheila is portrayed in the painting with two dogs and a book. Sheila, noted Doug, also was a deep advocate for the buildings on campus, old and new, and the architecture.

When Ned stepped up to speak, he said it was an immense responsibility to steward the dorm that bears the name of an educator he knows and deeply respects.

“In shaping Culbert Hall’s identity, I’ve tried to put a bit of Sheila into the place,” Ned said. “We have our bird-themed dorm merchandise; some of Sheila’s own photography, which hangs proudly on every floor; and of course, my own front door would be incomplete without the Sheila face fan handed out at SheilaFest two years ago.” The annual SpringFest event on the last day of classes was dubbed SheilaFest in the spring of 2024, when hundreds of handheld fans imprinted with Sheila’s image were distributed. 

“Inspired by Sheila’s tremendous career at Loomis Chaffee, I strive to cultivate a community built on three simple but powerful words I repeat often to our students: respect, positivity, and fun,” Ned continued. “Sheila helped Loomis Chaffee expand the boundaries of possibility, and Culbert Hall carries that same spirit. As the only dorm on campus with 10th- to 12th-grade students of all genders, Culbert is a model for what the future of residential life might look like. We don’t shy away from the challenges of our diversity; instead, our students embrace them, building a family-like community where everyone belongs.” Trivia nights, game nights, movie nights, big events, little moments all add up to create the Culbert Hall culture, he said. 

Natalie and Eli talked about the dorm camaraderie and introduced the audience to Ghime, the dorm’s sourdough starter. “Ghime was created on our second night here with the rest of our RAs, but once the rest of the residents moved in, Ghime quickly became a wonder to the rest of the dorm,” Eli said. “The ritual of feeding him every night after late-night check-in became the common ground for sharing memories and stories. While the residents came for Ghime, they would end up staying for humorous conversations and connections with others. Now, my intention is not just to inform you about our dorm sourdough starter, but to show how something as simple as Ghime reflects the heart of Culbert Hall: a place where curiosity turns into connection, small traditions grow into shared meaning, and every resident contributes to the warmth that makes this community feel like home.” 

At the end of the dedication, a plaque was unveiled, and a brief tour of Culbert Hall was offered before a reception and dinner were held.