By Alexia Boyarsky
History teacher Eric Zwemer received the Carolyn and Marion Hays Award for loyalty and dedication to the school at the faculty meeting last Wednesday.
The award is named after former teacher and Harvard School assistant headmaster Marion Chandler Hays.
Zwemer was chosen for his “consideration of the interests of others” which “characterizes all of his interactions with his colleagues and students,” Head of School Dr. Jeanne Huybrechts said in a speech at the faculty meeting.
“It was very surprising to me,” Zwemer said. “If you look at the people that got it before me, itâs a very special and a very rarified group.”
The award was established in 2004 by Haysâ sons Thomas â53 and Louis â62 following their fatherâs death. The first award was given to Vice President John Amato.
Zwemer is the fifth teacher to be honored, following history teacher John Corsello and visual arts teachers Kay Carlson and Kevin OâMalley. The recipient of the award is chosen annually by President Thomas C. Hudnut and Huybrechts.
“The thing Iâll remember most is how I was sitting in the middle of my row and I had to wade through the crowd, who were all offering congratulations to get to the stage,” Zwemer said. “The gestures and the reaction of my colleagues, it all felt very warm.”
The honoree is also awarded with $5000, but Zwemer says he has “no plans for it at the moment.”
