The one thing we pay the least attention to daily is a door. Either rushing forward to grab one or slamming it angrily behind us, doors captivate attention for only microseconds before we turn towards far more important things. The vast majority of Jesuit’s doors are unadorned, providing a very bland sight for us to pass by every day. However, twelve unique entryways are emblazoned with the names of distinguished friends of the school: alumni, family, or their friends.
Jessica Maddern of Jesuit’s Advancement office deals every day with donations and understands their crucial role in ” keeping the cost of tuition competitive with our neighboring schools while not sacrificing the experience of each Jesuit student, [providing] more opportunities for our students both currently and in the future…[and providing] an opportunity for families who need financial assistance to attend Jesuit.” One of the unique ways friends, family, or alumni can give back to Jesuit is the school’s naming opportunities, a chance to imprint a mark on the school either physically on a component of the campus or intangibly on an endowment fund. Unlike other schools which engrave names upon bricks or small stones, Jesuit’s naming system offers flexibility in giving back to the school. “There’s not really a type of donor that a naming opportunity is best for,” said Maddern, the emphasis on the endless possibilities granting creative freedom to those who help support Jesuit the most. In order to calculate the cost of these naming opportunities, “The price of naming a space is in direct proportion to the amount it costs to physically construct that space,” with other factors such as the location and prominence in the school factoring in equally. Around 50-70% of the costs associated with constructing the space are donated by generous families, with prices ranging up into the multi-million dollar range.
Only one classroom on campus has a naming opportunity, Ms. Ellsworth and Mrs. Richard’s room A105 which honors Mr. and Mrs. Ted Troy. Ted graduated from Jesuit in ’57 and is the grandparent of two alumni Richard Shannon ’10 and Kyle Shannon ’14. Troy works as the vice chairman of McQueary Henry Bowles Troy, providing insurance brokerage and consultation since 1965. Experienced with health, property, liability, personal and commercial life insurance, Troy has been accredited on the local, state, and national level.
Another area which has gone largely unnoticed is the Jesuit Archives, dedicated to John and Helen Gehan. The couple parented three boys before Helen passed, two of which attended Jesuit. Glenn Gehan ’82 and Peter Gehan ’85 helped their brother Tim run Gehan homes, a Top 30 Homebuilding company which has matched buyers with their dream homes for the last 25 years. John also has one grandson who attended the school, Connor A. Frieze ’13.
The final unique area with a door plate is Mrs. Stewart’s office, the only counselor whose room is dedicated. Both Jerry ’49 and Betty Jo Lastelick are extremely active members of the Jesuit community, their son Joseph attended Jesuit in 1986 as did their grandson Tanner R. Lastelick ’13. Two grandkids are currently enrolled, Trevor B. Lastelick ’16 and Joseph K. Higginbotham ’17. A US Army vet, Jerry Lastelick is certified to practice before both the Supreme Court of the United States and two Circuit Courts of Appeal. At Jesuit, he has served as chair of the school’s board and the board of advisers. One of only forty Distinguished Alumni at Jesuit, Lastelick was awarded the prestigious award in 1991. His son Joseph has 18 years of investment experience and works in advisement much like his father.
One of the most secluded locations these plaques hide is in the Athletic tower, far away from the hustle and bustle of the school day. These fixtures on two coaches’ offices honor a legacy of generational commitment and dedication to the school. The first is on Coach Hill and Coach Alexander’s basketball office, in memory of Ferdinand “Red” and JoAnn Walters. Red and JoAnn had three children, Andrew J. Walters ’72, Charles J. Walters ’73, and Mary Walters. Mary and Mark Stotltz married, and their son Brian W Stoltz graduated in 2000. Both JoAnn and Red are deceased, but their grandson Brian still works as a local litigation attorney.
The other doorway is Head Soccer Coach Charlie DeLong’s, dedicated to Paul Wachsman from Richard and Marilyn Wachsma
n and family. Marilyn is married to Richard Wachsman and is the sister of David Berend, Jesuit’s very own CFO. Together, the couple has had four boys go through the school including Darryl E. Wachsman ’95, Kevin L. Wachsman ’98, Mark Wachsman ’87 and Richard H. Wachsman ’88. The couple also has had two grandchildren attend Jesuit, Parker Amy ’11 and Garrett Amy ’15. Paul Wachsman, for whom the door is dedicated, went to the Notre Dame School of Dallas but still avidly supports the Rangers. A swimmer himself, Paul’s tribute to the athletic wing commemorates the multi-pronged commitment the Wachsmans and Berends have tirelessly devoted.
Administration’s wing contains the majority of these door plaques, one of the most lively area filled with dozens of busy staff. The first thing you notice entering the hallway is the conference room, an area reserved for only the most important meetings. Dedicated to the deceased couple Joseph & Hazel Fecthel, Joseph made his livelihood working in the hatchery business. He made his start in small family industries, then created Western Hatcheries, the largest independent hatchery in the southwest. He expanded into Mexico and grew it into the second largest in Mexico. His experience with hatchery and poultry led him to serve twice as the president of the National Broiler Council and start a successful turkey operation in Temple. Outside of work, Fectchel was the second ever recipient of the Texas Catholic Foundation’s Man of the Year award and avidly supports both Monserrat Retreat House and Jesuit College Preparatory. Three of his children graduated from Jesuit: Charles J. Fechtel ’69, J. Milton Fechtel ’62, and J. Randolph Fechtel ’71 with his grandson Charles J. Fechtel, Jr. finishing in 2007.
The holiest office on campus is that of the rector, adjacent to Mr. Earsing’s and honoring Mr. James Blaeser and Mrs. Ellen Blaeser. The couple live together in Clearwater, FL and have one son, John A. Blaeser ‘81, who also lives in Florida. Another office commemorates Sandra Cass on behalf of the Frank Cass family. Frank W. Cass formerly worked on the school board and fathered two graduates Michael L. Cass’72 and W. Gregory Cass ‘80. Michael and Frank work at Cass Oil Company and are experienced in the petroleum industry. It’s unknown who Sandra is or how she’s related to Frank; however, most importantly, she and her family give their talent and treasures magnanimously to the school.
Finally, the offices of our school’s highest administrators carry the greatest stories. These legends paved magnanimous paths both on campus and in their respective fields, leaving a legacy worth spreading at Jesuit. Our faculty’s newest doctor Dr. Kirby has a door honoring the memory of Jay Stuart Versfelt and his wife Rosemary. The patriarch was a school board member, foundation board member, and parent of two grads Daniel S. Versfelt ’84 and Thomas Versfelt ’76. The youngest son Tom holds the prestigious position of Epson’s Vice President of the North American Commercial Sales Team. With over 25 years of experience in software and technology, Tom helps ensure his parent’s legacy will endure on for decades.
The highest rung of the Jesuit ladder is Mr. Earsing’s Office, a touching tribute to the incredible work of Mr. Thomas O’Dwyer and Mrs. Biddy O’Dwyer. The couple both served during WW2, Thomas fought in the Pacific Theater and Biddy tended to wounded soldiers as a nurse’s aide. Afterward, Thomas founded the 15th largest electrical contracting company in the nation with his friend from the navy, becoming a three-term president of the Northeast Texas Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association and a member of the National Academy of Electrical Fellows. Active in the Jesuit community, O’Dwyer served as President of the Board of Advisors and won the prestigious Jesuit Man of the Year award in 1977. A little know fact, Thomas has been a limited partner in the Texas Rangers since the club began. His wife Biddy likewise made groundbreaking achievements and pioneered the North Dallas Parents League, lobbying successfully to raise the legal driving age to 16. Although both Tom and his wife have passed on, their grandson William J. O’Dwyer ’09 carries on their proud Texan legacy.
Mr. Earsing’s office carries so much gravity and importance an entire entryway to the wing is dedicated to one of Dallas’ own trailblazers: Mr. Byron McClean “Mack” Rankin, Jr. and his widow Mrs. Ashley Rankin. Trained as a First Lieutenant and Officer of Procurement in the army after WW2, Rankin learned discipline and dedication to his country serving in Germany. He later went on to become a badge-carrying Sheriff and Sergent enforcing the law in his home state of Texas. Mack’s area of expertise was oil and petroleum, acting as Vice Chairman of the Board and major shareholder of his company Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. until his passing. The company exploded under his guidance, becoming the largest phosphate fertilizer and sulfur producer in the United States, the largest publicly traded copper and molybdenum producer in the world, and the excavator of the world’s largest known gold deposit and third largest copper reserve. He was the chairman of the U.S. Oil & Gas Association as well as a prominent member of the Dallas Petroleum Club. Mack famously became the Texas Rangers’ co-owner during their struggles in the early 1980s. A philanthropic man, he was the Chairman and a longtime board member at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and one of the longest surviving patients in M.D. Anderson’s history himself. He helped co-found the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Global Research Foundation to seek out a cure for people suffering his illness. This charitable attitude spread to the school, where he endowed a scholarship in honor of his son Richard who attended the school in 1973. These experiences and many more he documented in his memoir humorously entitled “Recollections of a Badass.”
The twelfth and final plaque outside of Mr. Garrison’s Office contains more history and prestige than the others combined, dedicated to Mr. Robert Folsom and the late Mrs. Margret Folsom. The couple both attended Sunset and SMU, where Robert played alongside three Heisman trophy winners and was the first four-sport letter winner in SMU’s history. Folsom went on to become a legendary investor and developer, creating and serving as the chair of Folsom Properties board, BeautiControl cosmetics, and Alcatel USA. His experiences working on the board of both DISD and Methodist Hospital board inspired him to run for public office, and from 1976-1980, Rober Folsom served as mayor of Dallas too. He created Reunion Arena and the Dallas Arts District, two areas which currently serve as some of the city’s greatest attractions. Through his undying leadership and excellence at his craft, Folsom was awarded the Hugh Prather award for real estate leadership, Oak Cliff Lions Club Humanitarian Award for Service, and was inducted into the Dallas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame in 1989. Robert then went on to serve as a SMU Board of Trustee member and the Alumni Association president, won the university’s Distinguished Alumni award, and currently sits on the Cox School of Business’ board. His son Steven graduated from Jesuit in 1977 and received his degree in Business Administration from his parent’s alma mater. He currently works as the President of Folsom Companies and lives in town with his three children, Hunter, Annabelle, and Chase. Steven served on the school board three separate times and has worked philanthropically with the Alzheimer’s Association, Chase’s Place, Children’s Medical Center, Hockaday, Methodist Health Systems, Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, North Dallas YMCA and Easter Seals of Greater Dallas.
Next time you walk through the halls, look around for some of these plaques. Each one commemorates a life, a life devoted in service to Jesuit and its values. Although each of these individuals led radically different lives, many more connections exist than meet the eye. Versflet, Lastelick, and Folsom all served on the school’s board, just like how Lastelick and O’Dwyer both were on the Board of Advisers. The Gehans run a prominent homebuilding company, Robert Folsom established himself as a real estate tycoon, and Joseph Fechtel built a chapel and bell tower in his hometown of Jacksonville, FL. Both Jerry Lastelick and Brian Stoltz work as lawyers in Dallas, Mack Rankin and the Cass family ruled the oil industry, and O’Dwyer and Rankin both took major ownership roles in the Texas Rangers. These connections and dozens more prove the significance of each door plaque, providing a lasting tribute to the figures that shaped the world around us.
If any students or family would like to commemorate a friend of the school living or deceased, contact Jessica Maddern in the Office of Advancement to discuss the possibilities.
