Exeter Remembers Greer, Cole, Baggia
Over the course of this past year, the Academy lost beloved former faculty members Peter Greer, Aldo Baggia and Donald Cole. All three served Exeter for more than thirty years, and will be fondly remembered among students and faculty alike for their leadership and kindness.
Greer was involved in the Exeter community for more than 60 years, as a student from the class of ‘58, an English instructor and chair of the English Department. He will be remembered as a warm and compassionate teacher, mentor and friend.
Cole was an active member of the Exeter community for 42 years and served as a history instructor, dean of faculty and coach of football and lacrosse. He has a legacy of unifying the community during times of crisis with his wisdom and understanding, and was awarded the Founder’s Day award in 1992 for his leadership.
Baggia taught French, Italian, German and Spanish at Exeter for 33 years and served as the chair of the Modern Languages Department. He brought enthusiasm to all his endeavors, such as languages, music and baseball, touching both students and colleagues with his joy.
Greer passed away early last December after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. “Though he had a challenging cancer prognosis for the last 8 or so years he simply reached in and grabbed life by the throat and lived to the fullest,” religion and history instructor Kathleen Brownback said.
Science instructor Richard Aaronian connected with Greer on a very personal level and was always impressed by his ability to affect others.“His relationships with others were so important to him, and his circle of friends was incredibly wide,” Aaronian said. “He came out with one of my ornithology classes and quickly began to form relationships with many of my students, even though he didn’t know them at all and only saw them once a week.”
Greer also hired many current English instructors, including Jane Cadwell. Cadwell remembered him as a patient mentor who helped smooth out her transition to Exeter. “Peter launched me on my Exeter teaching career and was a gentle and supportive mentor for me as I made my way through the predictably unpredictable waters of my first boarding school experience,” Cadwell said.
“He noticed when my insecurities began to bubble up, and he responded by treating me as his equal.”
Greer had the rare gift of being able to connect with individuals on a personal level. “He was open and available to people, more interested in individual growth and depth than he was in being institutional,” English instructor David Weber said. “When you received an email from him, it was like a handwritten letter,” Aaronian said. “Most people have the tendency to just write quickly, but not him.”
Greer was also able to maintain a wide variety of friendships from all over the country. “Judging by the mail from all over the place, from people of many different ages, he had a profound effect on people,” Weber said. “He helped them to see that more things were possible than they had realized.”
Principal Tom Hassan described Greer as a legend at Exeter who reflected both knowledge and goodness. “ Over his four decades of teaching at Exeter, Mr. Greer witnessed a lot change at our school,” Hassan said. “What never changed for him was his belief in the power of human beings to find deep meaning in written and spoken text and in the exchange of ideas. He pressed those around him to explore ideas and to hold each other to high standards as students and as people. He also accepted and appreciated diverse personalities and activities, which made him a great adviser, friend and colleague. We miss him very much.”
Cole served as an educator and leader in the Exeter community for 42 years. He retired in 1988 and was recognized with the Founder’s Day Award in 1992 for his work as dean of faculty under two principals. He graduated from Harvard University and served as a lieutenant in the Navy during World War II. Cole dedicated his life to historical research, publishing numerous well-recognized books on Jacksonian democracy, many during his tenure as a full-time faculty member.
Cole juggled academics, dorm life and coaching in his service to the Academy, and will be remembered for his infectious love for the pursuit of knowledge. “He was what you would call a school man, a triple threat—involved in the dorm, a teacher and a coach,” Barbara Eggers said, Cole’s mentee when she first joined the Academy. “It was exceptional and admirable that he was able to do all these things, and that in retirement he maintained his love of history and produced several books.”
Cole was famed for his ability to make history come alive for his students. “He was a very energetic teacher and really talented at getting kids involved with the issues in the moment, almost as though they were living in them,” Eggers said.
During his tenure as Dean of Faculty, Cole succeeded in unifying the campus during times of crises and remained a constant, fair, and calming presence at the Academy. “As dean of faculty, he was recognized by everyone for his standards, fairness and ability to hold people accountable,” Professor Emeritus Jack Herney said. “He set an example for all of us in his selfless service to the school… He was [also] masterful at being able to listen to voices around the table, which were never in harmony. He was very patient, and more than any other person on campus, he was responsible for keeping the school together [during student protests].”
When student protests swept campuses across the nation during the Vietnam War protests of the late 60’s, Cole was chosen to lead a committee to propose an Academy response. During a period of national acrimony in America’s school communities, he served as a unifying voice. “He was absolutely masterful at being able to listen to voices around the table, which were never in harmony. He was very patient, and more than any other person on campus, he was responsible for keeping the school together,” Herney said. “Many schools were damaged by the war controversy and had a very difficult time, but we didn’t, and that’s largely due to his leadership,”
Baggia is remembered as an enthusiastic and fun-loving individual, capable of being both charming and energetic. He remained both thoughtful and responsive as a department chair and kept classes energetic with his lively presence. Above all, he loved to teach and valued both his colleagues and students.
“He was assigned to me as a mentor in my first years and our friendship never wavered,” modern language instructor Joseph Reiter said. “His spirit, expertise and interests amazed me. He was a superb linguist, fluent in at least five languages, understandable in many more, a gifted musician and an over-the-top baseball fan.”
Baggia charmed those around him with his perceptive nature. “We felt valued under him because as department chair he listened, was very responsive and very considerate. He checked up every day on his colleagues—I would be sitting in my classroom after a few afternoon classes, and he came into the classroom to chat. He was funny and dynamic and energetic,” French instructor Evelyn Christoph said. “It was very difficult to watch him decline, but he was incredibly courageous despite his health issues and even as he declined, he was never negative at all.”
As a teacher, Baggia always held unending faith in people that inspired students and faculty alike. “What was so wonderful about Mr. Baggia is that he always rooted for the underdog, be it the singer understudy or the unknown pitcher or hitter,” Reiter continued. “His rapport with the students was the same. He encouraged them to stand up at the language plate and to take a chance. Teaching for him was coaching and guiding, and always with smile and a good word.” “Whenever I read an opera or classical music review, Mr. Baggia inevitably comes to mind, and I speculate how he would react to the news,” Reiter reminisced. “I miss his witty reactions, his encyclopedic knowledge, and his wonderful sense of humor.”