Gifts & Giving

 

George R. A. Johnson '59:
"Breck Is Part of the Family"

Some long-term relationships begin in curiously accidental fashion. For alumnus, alumni parent and former Trustee George R. A. Johnson '59, starting at Breck was a result of transportation issues. "I was in fourth grade, and my dad drove me to school every day," he recalls. "When he found out Breck had bus service (I think it was just a station wagon at the time!), he decided it was time for me to change schools."

After attending Breck on both the Como and River Road campuses, George continued his association with the school as the son of a trustee, father of two Breck students (Charles (Chip) '87 and Nicholas, who attended from 1973-1982), brother of alumnus and former faculty member Peter Johnson '62 and as a longtime member of the board of trustees, himself.

He says that serving on the board, especially during the challenging years marked by the River Road Chapel fire and the move to Golden Valley, helped him forge some very deep friendships.

"It was such a good group of people," he says. "People like Betty Musser, Sherry Lund, Tim Hitchcock, Jack Stafford, Lee Anderson, Sr. . . . they worked so hard to help get the financing together for the move in very short order. It makes for strong bonds."

George says that the late 1970s were challenging times for Breck. "We had a great campus, but we were really a little squeezed in the building, and there was a lot of financial pressure." Then came the Chapel fire and embarking on the campaign to rebuild. In the midst of it all, the Golden Valley campus became available. He was part of a group that came for a visit and "fell in love right off the bat. It was perfect!"

The group scrambled to do some quick due diligence and prepare for the move. One particularly memorable step, George says, was calling architect John Cuningham, well into the planning of a rebuilt River Road Chapel, to tell him about the change in plans. "I told him he was still designing a chapel but it was in an entirely different location," George recalls. "I think John’s reply to me was, 'Surely you jest.' "

In honor of his service to the school, Breck dedicated the new Chapel art gallery space as the George R. A. Johnson Gallery, an honor that is especially meaningful to its namesake. "I was extremely flattered," he says, "and I’m delighted that the Chapel is such a well-designed space. It’s both religious and multipurpose, which is wonderful, and it incorporates so much art throughout."

On a late September visit to the school, George had his first opportunity to meet the new head of school, Ed Kim, and see some of the most recent architectural additions in the form of the new Commons area and the new enclosure for the Wilder Bell. "It's always exciting to see improvements to the campus," he observes, "and it's always wonderful to get to see those crowds of young faces."

It’s important to George and his wife Emily to see Breck continue to thrive as well. As an attorney who practices in the area of trusts and estates, he has a profound understanding of the role a bequest can play in an institution’s future. "It's a natural expression of fondness for Breck," he says, "and an opportunity to say just how important Breck is and has been to me over the years."

Besides, George says, with all those close associations, Breck feels like part of his family. "Who else are you going to provide for after you’re gone?" he asks.