Written by BA Board Chairman Stew Davis '64 and printed in the 2009 Annual Report
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.”
Dr. Solsrud’s selection of the theme for the 2008-09 school year presented the opportunity for me to reflect upon the nascent days of Brookfield Academy and inspired me to compose the following message:
When the Academy of Basic Education (ABE) opened its doors for the very first time to admit new students on September 10, 1962, yours truly, at the ripe “old” age of 13, was one of the lucky handful of “guinea pigs” who comprised the Upper Form (7th and 8th grades) of this recently launched experiment in independent education. Our classroom, as were all ABE classrooms, was located in the building we now call Founders Hall. In preparation for opening day, our small second-hand student desks along with the over-sized used desk of our teacher were neatly arranged in the easternmost room of the original Risney home— the very same room that now serves as the school’s business office (there was no interior partition wall in those days). 
Following the inaugural all-school assembly around the flagpole at the top of the hill, including recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance (“stand tall”) and the Academy Prayer (a near verbatim replica of the New York State Regents’ Prayer, which had been declared “unconstitutional” by the United States Supreme Court just a few years earlier), we were introduced to our teacher— the one and only, incomparable, avuncular Mr. J. Robert (“Bob”) Drez, who hailed from “Nawlins” (Louisiana) and who had been educated in the Jesuit tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.
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. 
Posts
