Dear Friends of Brookfield Academy,I regret to inform you that after a long and courageous battle against cancer, Brookfield Academy’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, W. Stewart Davis III, died on December 13, 2009. Stew was elected Chairman of the Board in 1989.
Stew Davis was the son of Brookfield Academy founders Walter S. Davis and Betty Grede Davis, husband of Sandy Davis, and father to 
Brian Davis ’94 and Cynthia Davis ‘98. Stew was one of 33 students in attendance when Brookfield Academy, then The Academy of Basic Education, opened its doors on September 10, 1962.
Brian Davis ’94 and Cynthia Davis ‘98. Stew was one of 33 students in attendance when Brookfield Academy, then The Academy of Basic Education, opened its doors on September 10, 1962.Stew will be remembered for many admirable qualities exemplifying the Academy’s Five Stars, but none more than his unabashed love and commitment to the school’s ideals and vision. His vision and determination to turn dreams into realities were the driving force behind the Academy’s many successes.
I was blessed, as Head of School, to partner with Stew for 17 years along this glorious path of Brookfield Academy’s expansion and achievements. 
He was truly a remarkable person whose passion for the school was evident in his voice when speaking of the school and in his eyes when proudly walking the campus. Addressing the faculty and staff each year before school began, Stew always concluded his remarks with great conviction, saying, “I promise you this will be the best year ever in the history of Brookfield Academy.”
Sadly, Stew will not be here for the Patriots Hall ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 31, 2010, an event he so wanted to experience. When we celebrate the opening of the building, Stew’s presence will be seen and felt in the enthusiasm and pride we will share, along with our gratitude for his unparalleled and selfless efforts to raise the necessary funds to construct this impressive Upper School building.
As I spoke with him last week, I mentioned that Patriots Hall is nearing completion and will be ready for classes in January. He
struggled to form a response. His daughter, Cindy, asked, “Dad, did you say, ‘Dreams come true’?” With a smile on his face and a glint in his eye, Stew gave me the thumbs up sign.Funeral arrangements are scheduled with visitation on Friday, December 18th, 4 p.m.-8 p.m., at the Becker Ritter Funeral Home, 14075 W. North Ave., Brookfield, and the memorial service on Saturday, December 19th, 3 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa, 1511 Church St., Wauwatosa. A reception will follow at the church.
Yes, Stew, thanks to you, this will be the best year ever in the history of Brookfield Academy. We commit ourselves to doing everything in our power to advance the good name of Brookfield Academy as Stew so often challenged us to do. We ask that you please keep the family in your prayers at this difficult time.
Bob Solsrud, Ed.D.
Head of School
Having demitted priesthood in favor of teaching, Mr. Drez was a man who possessed close to zero tolerance for the bitter cold of Wisconsin winters (which he had yet to actually experience at that time) and who suffered from an extremely severe case of dipterophobia that instantly transformed him into a totally non-functional human being by the mere presence of an ordinary house fly. No, the back door to the outside in the middle of the east wall close to the fly-infested woods was never left open “intentionally” by any of his students. Even so, on those (not so) rare occasions when an unsuspecting dipteran displayed the audacity to violate restricted airspace, it very quickly was perfunctorily obliterated by a lethal strike from a lightening swift swatter, wielded by the ever vigilant erstwhile cleric. Only after all unwelcome intruders had been eliminated could academic instructional activity be resumed in the Upper Form classroom of ABE. (In all fairness to Mr. Drez, at some point, I did come to understand the source of his peculiar dislike for nature’s two-winged pests - in the more tropical climate of New Orleans, flies were associated with disease and decay and were to be avoided and/or eliminated whenever possible.) 
Except for math (which he readily admitted he didn’t know) and French (which he did know and probably could have easily taught), Mr. Drez instructed all subjects in the Upper Form, including U.S. History, English, and of course, everyone’s favorite, Latin. Every day, we learned something new from Mr. Drez: how to diagram English sentences, how to conjugate Latin verbs and decline Latin nouns, as well as his thoughts on the reasons behind the “War of Northern Aggression,” as he called the American Civil War . 
My closest personal association with Mr. Drez occurred between my ages of 13 and 15 when I was a student in his classroom for two years before leaving in 1964 for high school elsewhere. (Brookfield Academy did not yet have an Upper School.) Mr. Drez continued teaching at ABE, then BA, for many years before retiring and returning to his beloved “Nawlins,” where he resided until his death several years ago. A memorial fund was established in his honor and memory and continues to provide scholarship support to worthy Brookfield Academy students.
Today, nearly five decades since my first encounter with Mr. Drez, I finally realize what an uncommon person he was. The longer I live, the more I appreciate what he did for me and for so many other Brookfield Academy students over the years. For my part, it may be too little too late, but “Here’s to you, Mr. Drez! You taught so many of us to appreciate, to aspire, and to accomplish. And for that, we will be eternally grateful.”
From the initial site preparation to laying the foundation, to the erection of walls and installation of windows, to the current concentration on internal drywalling and painting, we have been able to visually watch as Patriots Hall takes shape.
While construction has been challenging and complex for those actually involved in the building project, the greater Brookfield Academy community interprets the building in a much different way. The BA community is not so much focused on the process, but derive their excitement from the building itself. Reality in this context is derived from what they see every time they pass Patriots Hall.
It is perhaps one of the most important days in the school year because it offers us the opportunity to reflect on the rich history surrounding the school. Held on the very same spot where the first students assembled on that day 47 years ago, we hear about the pioneers who founded the school, those first students and teachers, and most importantly the values and beliefs that continue to serve as the foundation for the school community. The powerful images and symbols that accompany the various speeches are part of the "building process," nowhere near as tangible as the brick walls of Patriots Hall, but equally important and just as strong.
Ryan's presentation reflected a genuine appreciation for the values and beliefs that Brookfield Academy taught him, made even more poignant by the fact that Ryan's grandparents were part of the founding families of Brookfield Academy and Ryan's grandfather was one of the intellectual architects of the Brookfield Academy philosophy of freedom. Ryan conveyed the fact that his personal and professional life are manifestations of the Five Stars and that there is a fundamental relationship between hard work and success. 
Founders Fest is an opportunity to assemble the Brookfield Academy community for camaraderie and celebration. With a record turnout of parents and students from across all three divisions, Founders Fest is achieving its purpose of creating community and unity throughout the school.
Whether through bricks and mortar or shared values and experiences, Brookfield Academy takes seriously the concept of "building" a community. 
Accompanying the event was a special announcement that the campaign recently achieved its $12 million dollar goal necessary to receive the $500,000 challenge grant. The four year, $12.5 million dollar campaign was the largest in the history of the school. A special thank you to co-chairs Dan and Carol Geenen, Jeff and Cynthia Harris, and Greg and Shobha Warren, and their volunteer team who worked diligently on behalf of the campaign.
Over 1000 people donated to the campaign and many of those donors made the largest gift in their personal giving history. To all the donors and volunteers, Brookfield Academy salutes you for your generosity and commitment to the school.
Despite those fledgling first outings, the Academy golf outing has become a highly anticipated event, one that now attracts a loyal group of golfers who understand the reality that golf outings in Wisconsin offer all sorts of weather-related surprises. They willingly accept this reality in order to take part in the hi-jinks and whimsical foolishness that are trade marks of this particular outing. 
The most recent outing was held Monday, August 24th, at Chenequa Country Club. Blessed with perhaps the nicest weather in the history of the outing, all who attended had an extraordinary time. Over 125 golfers and 150 dinner guests were treated to a great day of golf and fellowship. And, the food was terrific!
One year later the outing name was expanded to include Wally's compatriot Bill Law, an equally avid golfer and also a founder of the Academy. Given their love of the Academy and golf, naming the outing in their memory was both most appropriate and quite logical.
Four years ago it was decided that outing proceeds would benefit the Five Stars to Success Scholarship program. The scholarship program was established in order to provide city of Milwaukee students with an opportunity to attend Brookfield Academy. It provides tuition, transportation, and additional needs to worthy students. Thanks to the generous support of golfers and sponsors, the outing has generated almost $100,000 in support for this program.
Only 100 tickets will be sold so your odds of winning are 1 in 100 or better! Ticket price is $100 each and you can buy more than one ticket.
The award was presented to Dr. 
With the Patriots Hall building project generating genuine excitement, the BA community again demonstrated its generosity by making the 2009 Dinner Auction an unbelievably successful night. The 250 attendees enjoyed a terrific evening of fun and camaraderie while never losing sight of the fact that the evening was designed to generate support for the campus-wide needs that Patriots Hall will create. Held for the first time at the Pfister Hotel, this year's theme, "Under Construction," truly captured the buzz that is surrounding Brookfield Academy.
Some of the highlights of the evening included an appearance by one of the world famous Milwaukee Brewer racing sausages, the unveiling of two videos: the student-produced Patriots Hall Library project video and Peter Eggert’s always excellent “Thanks, Mom and Dad!” video, not to mention an astounding $87,000 in "Raise the Paddle" for BA libraries.
When people ask how Brookfield Academy can continue to put together such an extraordinary auction, the answer is quite simple. The role played by our volunteers in organizing and executing this event is unequivocally the most important reason for its success. Led by co-chairs Amy Strong and Judi Balistreri, the volunteers are responsible for every facet of the event and they leave no stone unturned. Blogger joins with the rest of the BA community in thanking the co-chairs and the volunteer staff for their selfless effort. Not surprising, Blogger has heard that the volunteers are already busy planning the 2010 Dinner Auction, but strongly suggests they take a well-earned few days of vacation. 
The building is really beginning to show progress. Although the rough winter put the construction schedule behind by almost three weeks, the builders have already made up all that time and are back on schedule. Walls are beginning to go up around the academic wing and the outer brick is being placed on the gymnasium. Blogger is amazed at how big the building is!
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