Fletcher Driscoll '51

Whether he’s sailing on White Bear Lake or providing expert testimony in a case involving groundwater contamination, Fletcher Driscoll says he “just can’t get away from water.”

In fact, the avid sailor has built a long and distinguished career as a hydrogeologist, serving as a teacher, consultant, speaker and expert witness in matters related to groundwater contamination, water quality protection and construction. He is the principal author and editor of the most widely used reference book on groundwater and wells, and he is a member of numerous professional organizations, many of which have honored him for his expertise and accomplishments.

Even so, he says a lot of the credit really belongs to his professional colleagues, whether in the classroom, in business or in the courtroom. “Collectively, people have so much power,” he observes. “If you surround yourself with people smarter than you it’s amazing what you can do!”

Fletcher is “impressed” with improvements in U.S. lakes and rivers. “People should recognize that this is the most vigorous regulatory climate in history,” he says. “There’s no running and hiding anymore. Companies aren’t making messes anymore – it’s just too expensive to fix.”

He’s enjoyed the benefits of clean water as a lifelong boater as well. In addition to his consulting business, Fletcher runs a boat restoration shop that specializes in old wooden boats, both row and sail. And he loves nothing more than getting out on the lake with one of his grandchildren. “Helping them learn to sail is a thrill,” he says. “They can drive a boat before they learn to drive a car, and it’s just wonderful to have the time together.”

His close-knit family is another constant in Fletcher’s life. He and his wife Beverley just celebrated their fiftieth anniversary. Their four sons, all of whom attended Breck (Mark ’77, Jacques ’78, Colin ’81 and Fletcher, who left before graduation), have become “great fathers and husbands, and they’re all doing great things,” says their proud dad. The entire family, now including eight grandchildren, takes twice yearly vacations together.

His relationship to Breck endures, too. He’s been an active member of the Alumni Association and has remained quite close to his class of 1951. “There were only 26 of us, and we live very different lives today,” Fletcher says. “But when we get together we still enjoy an especially rewarding comradeship.”

Fletcher and his brother Charles ’52 attended Breck as weekday boarders, a fact that is partially responsible for the strong bond he feels with his classmates. “We shared great academic experiences with teachers such as Pops Jonnard, John Nelson and Michael Uram, who really challenged us to think,” he says. “But we also shared the lighter moments of dormitory life, like our ongoing competition to see who could find the cleverest way to break into the kitchen for ice cream.”

And even though today’s Breck is very different from the school he attended, Fletcher says it’s fundamentally the same. “It’s about the relationship between teachers and students,” he observes, “and developing warmth and acceptance of all people. Breck is a place that values each individual and each individual’s talents. And isn’t that the way it should be?”