Fenn Teacher, Admissions Director Retires

Fenn School teacher, coach and admissions Director Jim Carter retired recently. Patch caught up with him to learn about his long career and how he learned to admit the best and the brightest.

Patch: Was admissions director your first position at Fenn?

Carter: I was hired to teach French in 1970, after a few years I taught French and history. I became Admissions director in 1979 and did that until 1995 after which I went back to the classroom full time and taught history to all the 9th grade and sometimes Latin, sometimes French.

Patch:  What changes did you see in boys applying over the years?

Carter: Really very few changes, if any, in the boys. They tended to be smart, nice boys who were perhaps either not challenged in their school or were a bit lost so being in an environment of smaller classes and more personalized attention would be to their benefit.

Patch: What was the most striking change you observed over the years?

Carter: Computers and the Internet. When I assign a research project these days boys do not think "book", they think "computer".

I have to tell them to use at least two books. And computers have made writing a lot easier, especially for writing multiple rough drafts. No more laboriously copying something over, just hit the print button.

For those boys for whom the act of writing is a serious chore computers (and spell check, etc.) make the act of writing so much easier.

Patch: Did your expectations from applicants change? Did the school change its emphasis?

Carter: No changes. I always looked for nice, smart, interesting boys who I felt would fit in, be able to be succesful and would add something positive to our community.

Patch: How many boys do you guess you interviewed over your career?

Carter: I am not sure of the exact number but over 2,500 I would guess. I usually saw between 150 to 200 applicants each year.

Patch: What was the most gratifying part of the job?

Carter: As Admissions Director it was looking around the school and realizing they were all there because I had accepted them. I felt a lot of pride in their successes. However the best part of being here was always being a teacher. I taught at least two classes every year, even when doing admissions and if I had had to chose between doing admissions and teaching I would have always chosen to teach. Being in your own classroom with a bunch of smart, nice kids was the best. 

Patch: The least gratifying?

Carter: As Admissions Director it was all the tours of the school I went on. That could get old quickly. I got tired of listening to my own jokes. I loved it when they built a new building so my tour would have something new to it.

Patch: What are your plans now, and what did you say to the new admissions director about the job?

Carter: It has been 15 years since I did admissions and the guy who took over from me had been here for a while and he had no interest in any advice I might give, he wanted to do things his way.

My plans now are a bit vague other than some traveling next year (I think in academic years so by next year I mean in September). Jean I are going to Turkey for three weeks in the Fall with some friends.

My first teaching job was in Istanbul 45 years ago so it will be great fun to go back there. I have 7 grandchildren who live 5 miles away in Maynard and I think my children are expecting that I will spend more time babysitting. I am told by those who have retired ahead of me that your days fill up quickly. I am not worried about it.