<p>It has been 5 days since this tragedy has touched these communities. Dr. Hank Payne, Past president of Wiilliams and Hamilton, Provost and Interim President of Haverford, past professor of History at Colgate and President of the Woodward Academy (the largest independent private school in the continental US) died tragically on Monday afternoon, Jan 7. He was 60. I just returned form the memorial service. The overwhelming pain, the sadness, the shock was absolutely palpable. The chapel was so full that many of us had to watch it on a live video feed from the upper school dining hall across from the chapel.
My shared condolences to all of you whose lives he touched. He was an incredible, brilliant scholar, and a true gentle man. No matter how busy he was, how many things he had to do, he always made time to chat, and when he did, you felt like you had his undivided attention and nothing else mattered. He was on numerous boards, committees, etc, and unwaveringly committed to education. I would be interested to hear from others shose lives he touched.</p>
<p>Jym, I am very sorry to read of the loss of your school’s leader who sounds like a brilliant man who has touched many in his career in education. Terrible tragedy. I am sure your school community is realing. It seems like you have been touched by too many tragedies lately and I am sorry for that. Thinking of you, your sons, and your community, as well as others affected by this loss.</p>
<p>I hadn’t heard of this gentleman before, and so I learned something about him. He seemed amazing, doing so much for others. His manner of death is especially sad.</p>
<p>This is not the thread to talk about suicide, but something happens to men at a certain age that we should all be aware of.</p>
<p>Thank you for sharing this, this man was truely someone wonderful who life affected so many and his legacy will live on in the people he touched.</p>
<p>I knew Hank Payne at Haverford nearly 20 years ago. He was truly an amazing educator – serious and scholarly, yet always maintaining a sense of humor. A unique combination well suited to educating young adults. You have my sympathy. There must be a background story, but I feel tremendous sympathy for those young people left dealing with this loss.</p>
<p>Thank you, soozie. Yes, too many losses in a short period of time. Thanks for your kind words. And ivoryk, it must have been a joy to work with Hank. He was a very special man. Jrpar shared with me that she knew him from fundraising events for Williams. His influence was far and wide. My boys are better kids for having known him.</p>
<p>And cgm, agreed, this is not the place to address how or why we lost him, as I suspect there truly is no explanation. I would just rather honor his memory.</p>
<p>This is so tragic. My prayers are with all who mourn the loss of this gifted and loved man.</p>
<p>Thank you, MOWC. Dr. Payne was a truly exceptional man. The tributes to him in the online obituary guestbook go on and on, for pages and pages, from current and former students and colleagues from all the institutions he touched, and from friends and dignitaries. [Guest</a> Book - Harry C. “Hank” Payne](<a href=“http://www.legacy.com/atlanta/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=100894840&PageNo=1]Guest”>Harry Payne Obituary (2008) - Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Journal-Constitution)</p>
<p>In a separate, ironic tragedy, on the very same day as Dr. Payne’s death, the president of another local prominent private Catholic school threw a pulmonary embolism following a routine hospital procedure. Sadly, he remains comatose and unresponsive in one of the local hospitals. Let us hope that the students of these fine schools can live dreams set forth by their presidents.</p>
<p>jym – my thoughts are with you. I was at Williams this weekend, and I think there is shock there.</p>
<p>Wow, I was at Colgate in the early 80’s when he was a professor there. Very sad</p>
<p>mythmom-
Were you there last weekend, before he died (he died Monday) or are you there this weekend? I am a bit confused…</p>
<p>I guess I’m confused. I thought this was the weekend. I was there yesterday and today. When I’m not working between semesters I lose all track of the orderly progressions of days; it felt like weekend because H and I were up visiting.</p>
<p>jym - I am so sorry to hear this and wish you and those who knew and loved Dr. Payne peace, understanding and healing. From what I’ve read in the papers and at AOL news, he was quite remarkable and will be missed.</p>
<p>This is tragic. So horrible that such a great man would feel compelled to end his own life. :(</p>
<p>mythmom-
I guess we are both confused-- When you asid “I was there this weekend” (past tense) well, since this is the weekend, and I think you posted either late Fri night or early Sat morning , I didn’t know if you meant last Sat. and Sunday, or this coming Sat. and Sunday. No matter-- I am still interested in knowing what it was like on campus–
thanks</p>
<p>The Williams site has a statement the president issued. The faculty and administration are saddened, but none of the kids there now ever new him, so they are not except in the most attenuated way, “Oh isn’t that sad.”</p>
<p>I, too, am sorry you have had to bear the brunt of so many losses. And this just seems so hard to process, especially with the grief of children to deal with. He must have been very troubled indeed. I hope he is at peace now.</p>
<p>My S doesn’t read the website so he didn’t know. I told him, and he told his friends, and of course, they were appropriately somber.</p>
<p>Yesterday was the 28th anniversary of my dad’s death, so I am always a bit subdued on Jan. 11, which just has such a wintry sound to me. 1/11, same with the day before. 1/10.</p>
<p>Sorry about your dad, mythmom. At Williams, I suspect it would be the faculty and staff moreso than the students who would have perhaps been having a tough time with the news of Dr. Payne’s death…</p>
<p>Thanks. I’m sure they were. Good luck with your school jym.</p>
<p>When was he at Williams?</p>
<p>He was the last president before Morty Shapiro, so I guess he left about 7 years ago.</p>
<p>He was there from 1994-1999. Oversaw the rebuilding and connecting of the science buildings, and then began the fundraising fro the theater/arts facility (which wa apparently a hot-button issue).</p>