Paull Phillips
Paull Phillips '62 recalls being left at Severn School. Paull, a three-year border remembers his parents off in other parts of the world attending to his father's naval career, while he attended to his studies in Severna Park.
Paull didn't feel abandoned, however. He made dear friends at Severn, many whom he still keeps in touch with to this day. He expressed that they were lucky to be at Severn during the last of the really strong boarding era. Despite rigorous academics that kept students busy, they still managed time for all sorts of high jinks. The favorite weekend pastime was to hitchhike to DC to explore all the city had to offer.
The care and concern shown by the faculty meant so much to him and his classmates and got all of them through their adolescent years.
"Mr. Kesmodel was a surrogate father to all the boarders "recollects Paull. "Case in point, and this is very telling of how he saw that role, was when Mr. Kesmodel was alerted by my family (prior to my knowledge of the fact) that my mother had been diagnosed with cancer. He suggested that my family inform me by phone in a call to his office that evening. Mr. Kesmodel came back in to school from his home to be there when I received the call and the bad news, offering support and counsel at a trying time, which I appreciated and have remembered."
Paull has expressed his gratitude and his loyalty by giving a gift to the Severn School Annual Fund every year since 1991. He has also thoughtfully included Severn in his estate plans and notified us of that fact, so he is a member of the Severn 1914 Society.