Senior of the Week: Cameron Frary

By Otto Do, Maxine Park and Anya Tang

“One does not simply meet Cameron Frary,” senior Orion Bloomfield said. “For many, Cameron is first met through his rumored existence. They know him as the kid who wants to become Principal one day.” Indeed, Frary stands out for his idiosyncratic passions. More than self-aware, he brings his full self to every interaction, sharing the things he loves with everyone he meets.

Among Frary’s interests is the Academy itself—specifically the history of this institution. Now knowing what to write for his History 420 research paper, Frary looked into the principalship of Harlan P. Amen. “I stumbled on a book while doing research... which included ‘biographical sketches’ of various teachers. It focused on [Principals Benjamin] Abbot and [Gideon] Soule and consisted mostly of student testimonials, first person accounts of their leadership,” he recalled. From there, his interest was piqued. 

Since History 420, Frary has written another research paper on the Academy’s town relations (for History 430) and a long-form work for History 600 on changes to the Academy’s administrative processes during the William G. Saltonstall and Richard W. Day administrations. 

Today, his knowledge of Academy chronology is unrivaled. “I suspect, since… archivist Ed Desrochers’ retirement, he knows more than just about anyone currently at the Academy,” History Instructor Emeritus Jack Herney said. “His enthusiasm for learning of the school's past is infectious.”

Frary finds that history gives him guidance. “Generally, I think people (particularly historical figures) that command the respect of people around them inspire me most. I imagine the standards of character that people like Abbot and Amen, who are regarded as the second founder of the school and the savior of the school, respectively, would have for me, and I try to meet those standards,” he said.

 “There was an old song that the students used to sing at Opening Assembly (up until a few years ago) that mentioned ‘the teachers who inspire us to summon forth our best,’ and I tend to adopt respectable people as such teachers,” Frary added.

In fact, studying the Academy’s history helped Frary find his place at Exeter. “I didn’t always feel at home at Exeter, and… for most of prep year, I wanted to get out, withdraw, however you want to put it,” he recalled. “I'd guess that after I got a sense of what people like Abbot expected of their students and I began to notice things in myself that I think Abbot would approve of, I started to feel like I actually deserved to be at Exeter.”

Frary’s interest has extended to the Academy’s alumni body, who comprise the living history of Exeter. “I spent a lot of time around Exeter when I was younger and always enjoyed hanging around with my dad and his Exeter friends during their reunion weekend,” he said. These positive experiences led him to engage actively with alumni when he arrived at Exeter. 

Principal William Rawson noted Frary’s devotion to the future of the Academy. “Cameron loves Exeter, loves the history of Exeter, and knows it about as well as anyone,” he said.  “His passion runs deep, and he is not afraid to confront harsh realities.  In caring as much as he does about the institution, and in holding steadfast to  his belief in our school, he in effect is demanding that the school be equally unwavering in living up to its ideals.  Cameron’s interest in our history is inseparable from his expectations of Exeter today and hopes for our school tomorrow.”

Now, most of Frary’s extracurriculars revolve around Gilman House (home to the Admissions Office) and the Office of Institutional Advancement, as a Class Agent and member of the Student Alumni Relations Council. “Cameron never ceases to surprise me with how many connections he's made and how he still calls up Exonians from the 70s and 80s,” senior Ben Cai said. “It should come as no surprise that Cameron connected with alumni for his History 600 research paper on the school’s… development in the mid-1900s.”

“Some of the alumni I’ve spoken to have become my close friends, and I’m still in touch with several I met last spring when they returned for their reunions,” Frary added. “I’ve only ever had great conversations with alumni, and I jumped at the chance to do so on a more regular basis.”

Despite his avowed interest in the past, Frary has a knack for engaging in the present moment. “Cameron is like a brother to me; he was always a good listener... If it weren't for Cameron, I don't think I would've gone to nearly as many concerts, competitions or group outings,” Cai, who lives in the same dorm, recalled. “A favorite pastime of ours was to just go to Phillips Church or the Music Building to play the piano and sing ‘For the Splendor of Creation.’ Cameron reminded me how Exeter isn't just about preparing oneself for the future. He’s as loyal as they get.”

For the last four years, Frary lived in Abbot Hall, named after his role model. There, he became a pillar of support for all in the dorm. “In Abbot, he was always close to everyone—underclassmen, upperclassmen and faculty—and as a fellow proctor, I try to model the way I interact with my [dormmates] after him,” senior and dormmate Zane Ice said. “He is an unbelievably good listener, always offers good counsel and always offers enthusiasm for whatever plan I come up with.”

Adults in the community have benefitted from Frary’s vibrant personality as well. “Cameron seems to come from another time. Whenever I see Cameron, I want the world to slow down, so we can talk without interruption,” Director of Institutional Advancement Morgan Dudley said. “One night this winter, he came to our house with a gift of chocolates from his hometown. We sat by the fire with my daughter and our dog, listened to music and talked. It was one of the best nights, and it will stay in my mind, always, because it was one of the last times someone visited our home before the shutdown.”

Frary is not one to allow an adult’s position to prevent him from engagement. Indeed, he regularly converses with Rawson. “On [History Instructor Michael] Golay's advice, I dropped my [research paper] in his office,” Frary said. “I didn't hear back for a while, so I wandered over and asked Ms. Drapeau if she knew whether he'd gotten a chance to read it, and he happened to be free right then, so we chatted.”

“Cameron is a tremendous conversationalist – I imagine that is felt in the dorm as much as anywhere else,” Rawson said. “Cameron reminds us that we come to Exeter because of what happens here, not because of where Exeter might get us next.”

Beyond his ability to engage with peers and faculty, Frary is well-known for his well-known for his steady support of Exeter’s events. “Cameron is the one person who is always willing to go to any concert, rally, or political event,” Ice said. “I loved going to various concerts in the Bowld with him and enjoying the good music (as well as the conversations with various faculty.)”

Herney agreed. “You see him everywhere… Concerts, athletic events, in the library poking around, stopping [by] my classroom when I teach in the spring,” he said. “He's a cheerleader, in the best sense, for the school, its faculty and his fellow students.”

Though Frary’s love for Exeter is known throughout the community, Ice noted Frary’s lesser-known interests. “Cameron is passionate about many things. I can always count on him to have an open mind and dive head-first into any kind of topic,” Ice said. “While his passion for Exeter is known to more people, I also see his passion for the little quirky things we do, whether making models in Sketchup or redecorating the Abbot common room.”

“The only thing that nearly rivaled [Frary’s] passion [for the Academy] was his fascination with Britain,” Cai added. At one point, Frary wrote a letter to the Queen of England and received a response from a correspondent. “I think he has it framed somewhere.”

Frary brings himself into everything he does, staying true to his distinctive personality. “He’s very much his own person, seeking out new experiences to broaden his knowledge of what's going on at the Academy and following the activities of his friends and even those he doesn't know well,” Herney said.

Part of this personality stems from his sense of wonder. “My favorite quality of him is his imagination, although imagination paints it almost childlike and naive. Maybe inspired is a better word. He sees the future in magical ways, and a lot of it is built in layers of sweet fantasy of him and his friends,” Bloomfield noted.

Another is simply his interest in people and their stories. “For whatever reason, I get swept up by certain stories or ideas, whether it’s about Otto von Bismarck’s astonishing diplomatic maneuvers, conflicts between various Russian authors or anecdotes from our school’s past,” Frary said. “I [also] think it's awfully fun to get to know people, especially strangers.”

This interest in others is well-documented. “When you finally break the ice to become his friend, Cameron is impressively close and caring,” Bloomfield said. “He never fails to check in with you, always probing with questions on how you ‘really feel’ about anything at any given moment. He cares more than I have really ever seen anyone else in my life. A true empath.”

For all this praise, Frary does not seem to know what about people makes him want to listen. “I would [explain] if I could, but I can't because I don't know,” he admitted. “It just makes me excited and happy. In September, I met an alumnus… who had known someone who was present when Abbot was lowered a story… Little conversations like that get me so excited, but I don’t know why I find it so much fun.” And so, Frary converses on.