2023 Spring Rush
We are pleased to report St. Elmo Hall had a very successful 2023 Spring Rush, extending 23 bids, 22 of which were accepted. Our enrolled brotherhood now stands at 69 members.
Our diverse class includes four international pledges, with the balance of 18 pledges coming from across the United States.
- Matthew Anderson
- Waseem Benamor
- Henri Camposano
- Eduardo Cisneros
- Duffy Driscoll
- Jack Duhamel
- Thaddeus Felten
- Patrick Keller
- Henry Laurencio
- Michael Lilley
- Carlos Manzur
- August Neuwirth
- Michael Paulik
- Ram Perez
- Diego Pretelt
- George Quillen
- William Reichert
- Brooks Robinson
- Benjamin Sayers
- Charles Stewart
- Ashton Winegardner
- James Woolard
Chapter Update
“Chan Dan” Dinner
The annual awards and recognition dinner, named in honor of Channing W. Daniel ’10, was held at the Elmo House on April 13, 2023. Three brothers were recognized for their exceptional dedication and service to the chapter. Fourth-year brother Cameron Chiaramonte received the prestigious Channing Daniel Award, fourth-year brother Colin Corrigan received the Gordon C. Burris Award (formerly the Alumni Award), and third-year brother Bowie Lanter received the William V. Daniel Award.
Following tradition, our pledges were introduced and received St. Elmo neckties (their formal initiation certificates had not been delivered at the time of the dinner).
Philanthropy
With COVID behind us, the Rho Chapter resumed its event-based philanthropic activities during 2022. In March, we hosted the annual “MoFest,” an event on behalf of the One Love Foundation, which was established by the family of the late Yeardley Love to raise awareness among young adults about domestic violence, especially relationship violence. Our cookout, with a band on the house patio, raised approximately $500 for the foundation. In October, the chapter hosted a different type of fundraiser for the Osteosarcoma Collaborative, which supports the search for a cure for this form of bone cancer.This annual event is unusual, in that it is based on a boxing tournament. We raised approximately $2,300 at the event, of which $1,650 was donated to the Osteosarcoma Collaborative. Not long after the event, the horrific murder of three varsity football players occurred, so the chapter elected to allocate $650 of the money raised to a fund supporting the affected families.
We continue to look for ways to expand our philanthropy for the coming 2023-2024 school year, seeking to engage both students and the wider Charlottesville community. Our philanthropy team going forward is Logan Kapit ’24 (chair), Jack Hughes ’25, Luke Osetek ’25, and Alexander Potamkin ’25. Brothers with good ideas should communicate with members of the philanthropy team.
Academics
We are pleased to report that the Rho Chapter recorded a first semester GPA of 3.71!
House Renovations
The Board of St. Elmo Club of UVA Inc. has approved and is proceeding with repairs and renovations to the house. Notable improvements include: replacing the original slate roof with an architecturally-consistent synthetic slate product; the replacement of the railing around the “widow’s walk” atop the house; replacement of the decking material (and the underlying roof/ceiling structure) atop the patio at the back of the house; and the installation of a fixed barbeque station on the south side of the patio. The schedule has demolition beginning in May, immediately after the end of the spring semester, with completion targeted for August, prior to students’ return for the fall semester. The cost of the entire project will be funded from the current endowment.
The house should be in great shape for the 115th Reunion in November.
Board of Directors Composition
With the February meeting of the Board of Directors of St. Elmo Club of UVA Inc., Michael Ledwith ’08 passed the torch of presidential leadership to Tommy Brannock ’79. Michael remains on the Board. Peach Duane ’22 and Jamie Simms ’81 (who recently retired to Charlottesville) joined the Board.
Retirement of Carolann Hugo
Carolann Hugo, our beloved kitchen manager of eight years, has informed us of her intent to retire at the end of the current semester. Michael Ledwith ’08 provided the following commentary:
“While many of us spent four years in the daily life of St Elmo Hall, and a few of us spent a bonus year, it is very rare to see eight years. At the end of the academic year, we will “graduate” the house chef, Carolann Hugo, and welcome her to retirement. Carolann is looking forward to time tending her gardens and playing with her husband and dog on their family homestead in Nelson County.
Carolann has served as the house chef since 2015. Her mission was to serve nine meals a week for 13 weeks per semester to 45-55 hungry young men. For those running the numbers, that’s 93,600 meals. She has overcome the many, many challenges of feeding the brothers and, over the years, become more than just a chef. In addition to being a dedicated worker and perfectionist, she has pitched in as a mentor, an unlicensed therapist, a bullsh*t checker, and an advocate for the fraternity in so many ways.
We will miss you, Carolann. Thank you for your years of extraordinary service.”
115th Reunion Planning
The Board is preparing for our 115th Reunion, to be held November 3-5, 2023. The festive weekend will include:
- a Friday morning golf outing;
- class parties Friday night;
- brunch at St. Elmo on Saturday morning;
- UVA – Georgia Tech football on Saturday afternoon; and
- dinner and dancing at Farmington Country Club on Saturday night.
Details regarding the golf outing will be forthcoming via emails, as will coordination of class parties.
While registration through the Alumni Association website begins in a few months, we encourage you to book your hotel accommodations, including the new hotel at Darden, ASAP. Many hotels are sold out due to the other events taking place on Grounds this weekend.
Please update your contact information with the Alumni Interest Groups team to ensure that we can stay in touch leading up to the event.
Passing of Brothers
We recently lost three brothers to premature deaths.
Ed MacMahon ’82, died in March 2023 after battling cancer. He was 62. After graduating from Tulane Law School, Ed embarked on a remarkable career as a defense attorney, representing numerous high-profile defendants, particularly in national security cases involving terrorism and espionage charges. He was a member of the state bar for Virginia and New York, was admitted to US District Courts for the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland, the Defense Bar for Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague, and the Bar of the International Criminal Court, and was a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Ed’s obituary can be found here.
Thatcher Stone ’78, was a 1982 graduate of the UVA School of Law. He died suddenly at age 67 while traveling in Israel in November 2022. Thatcher had a very successful career in corporate law, notably in aviation law. He taught at the Law school, to which he provided significant financial support. A member of the board of the University’s Fralin Museum of Art, Thatcher established the Madison Lane and Rugby Road Charitable Trust, which funds an annual Visual Arts Prize awarded to undergraduate and graduate artists. Thatcher’s obituary can be read on the Law school’s website.
Stuart Fullerton, a member of the pledge class of 1979, died in November 2022 after a long illness. After two years at the University, Stuart transferred to the University of California Berkeley, graduating in 1983. He then graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1987. He had a long career in corporate law, spending over 23 years with AstraZeneca.