Brunswick School welcomed more than 900 parents, faculty, staff, and special guests to its Annual Meeting & Dinner on Thursday, September 17, as the community gathered to mark Head of School Thomas W. Philip’s final year of leading the school.

Trustee Committee Chair John Pavelski began the evening’s official business, including recognition of six retiring Trustees: Chris Collins, Scott Dahnke, Cort Delaney, Pat Fels, Darby Fox, and Tom Wilson. The community also welcomed six new Trustees — John McCormick ’95, Tony Miranda, Ryan Mollett, Molly Raymond, Scott Taylor, and John Woods — and re-elected Leslie Foley, Angela Michalik, Tim O’Hara, John Pavelski, and Carrie Walsh to additional three-year terms.

Board Chair Will Cook reflected on the many accomplishments of the past year, from academic, artistic, experiential, athletic, and service achievements to the success of Brunswick graduates in the college process. He also recognized the faculty and staff for their dedication and saluted the parent body’s continued support of the school.

Cook also reflected on the transition ahead, noting the appointment of Andrew T. Chappell as Brunswick’s ninth Head of School, effective July 1, 2027. He thanked the Head of School Search Committee and paid tribute to Tom Philip, now completing his 26th year as Head of School and 38th year of service to Brunswick.

“Our Board, working hand-in-hand with our faculty and administration, will continue to do everything possible to ensure Brunswick provides an education that develops the whole boy, as we remain committed to character, goodwill, and achievement,” Cook said.

Philip took the podium to reflect on his tenure and the approaching transition. He thanked Cook and the Head of School Search Committee, calling Chappell “a wonderful choice” to lead Brunswick, before looking back on the changes Brunswick and the world have navigated during his time.

Philip noted that his first Annual Meeting address came just days after 9/11 and that, seven years later, the school convened as the Great Recession began. Since then, Brunswick has navigated the rise of smartphones and social media, COVID-19, school violence, racial and civil unrest, political polarization, and geopolitical conflict.

“Challenges are inevitable. Change is inevitable. And a successful school must adapt and thrive while remaining true to its mission,” Philip said.

Philip identified artificial intelligence as the latest seismic shift facing education, citing widespread concerns about what happens when technology makes it easier to avoid the difficult work that produces genuine learning and understanding.

“Brunswick’s wheelhouse is hard work and deeper meaning,” he said. “If we teach our boys the value of doing hard things, then I think we can navigate AI.”

Philip also expressed his gratitude to the faculty, noting that one-third of Brunswick’s full-time faculty members have served the school for 20 years or more. He thanked parents for their support of the school’s mission and reflected on Brunswick’s growth, including expanded programs, facilities, and campuses.

At the same time, he emphasized the importance of preserving the traditions and expectations that have long defined a Brunswick education.

“We have been intentionally cautious about chasing trends, choosing instead to stay true to our founding mission and to stick with what works rather than constantly reaching for what is new and shiny.”

Philip said the school’s enduring priorities begin with a simple principle: “The boys must always come first.”

He spoke about the importance of the small, daily interactions that help boys feel known, supported, and part of something larger than themselves.

“What is lived daily inevitably outweighs what is said occasionally.”

Philip also recognized his wife, Lela, who spent generations teaching art at Brunswick and has supported the community in countless ways, from hosting students to cheering at varsity games. He has been “lucky and grateful” to have shared his Brunswick experience with her, he said.

Looking ahead, Philip described members of the Brunswick community as “guardians” of the school’s legacy. He noted the many Brunswick alumni who have returned to serve as faculty and trustees, as well as the enduring friendships formed at the school.

“Brunswick is more than a school. It is a shared purpose, a shared set of values, and a community that marks our lives.”

Near the end of his remarks, Philip shared a story about fate and the unexpected path that brought him to Brunswick.

During his senior year of college, Philip was home for Christmas and searching for a job, he recalled. He drove to Greenwich to meet his father’s former Yale roommate, “Uncle Henry,” who ran a company with an analyst training program. Arriving early, Philip drove down Maher Avenue and noticed a parking lot belonging to Brunswick, a school he had never visited.

He got out of his car and walked toward the front entrance. Above the door was a phrase carved into the building: “With all thy getting, get understanding.”

Philip had never considered teaching, but the words stayed with him. Four years later, after a brief stint in banking in New York City and shortly after marrying Lela, he learned of an opening to teach history at Brunswick. 

He remembered the words above the door and applied.

The biblical phrase, from Proverbs, became a guiding principle for his career: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding.”

For Philip, the progression from knowledge to wisdom to understanding speaks to something deeper than the accumulation of information or achievement. His greatest hope, he said, is that Brunswick’s boys will carry that lesson with them.

Philip concluded with a simple expression of gratitude.

“Thank you all for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to be at this remarkable school and among your wonderful sons.”

The gathering responded with a standing ovation. 

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To hear remarks by Head of School Thomas W. Philip and Board Chairman R. Willett Cook, click on the video links below.