The David L. Stone Chair for Distinguished Teachers was established to honor one of the School’s most outstanding and respected alumni. David Stone ’57 was a lawyer noted for his performance in the courtroom, his versatility on local stages and his activism in the community. He was a pillar of Isidore Newman School – he began his relationship with the School as a distinguished and talented student; he was the father of Sarah ’87, Michael ’91 and Evie ’96; he was a devoted Board member and Board Chair (1986-1989) and he was a thoughtful and generous donor. He also had a vivid memory and could recall the smallest and most colorful details from his half-century association with Newman.

The chair, established in David’s name after his death in 2005, will be used to secure and retain an excellent faculty. This is fitting, as David was passionate about good teaching. “The fund was something he and I talked about for years,” says Tommy Lewis ’55, David’s best friend. “Both he and I had certain teachers who made a big difference in our lives. Wayne Frederick being one, John Aker, Margaret Grout. Considering how hard they have to work, we thought there ought to be a mechanism for rewarding the teacher who stands out.”

Three teachers so far have been selected to receive recognition for their outstanding contributions to scholarship and teaching at the School. They have received stipends over and above what would be permitted by the normal salary scale.

“It is so satisfying to be able to reward exceptional teaching in this way,” says Head of School T.J. Locke. “The essence of a great school is great teaching. We are grateful to the Stone family and David Stone’s many friends and admirers for establishing this important fund.”

To date, more than $900,000 toard the $1 million goal has been committed to David’s fund. The fund is managed as part of Newman’s endowment, and five percent will be used to supplement the salary of particularly talented teachers.

“The idea was to help Newman and specifically honor David because he was such an important member of the Newman community,” says David’s brother, Harvey ’62, who, with his brother, Richard ’60, his sister, Sara Stone Wright '68 and their mother, Sara, was instrumental in creating this fund. “One of his passions was always to try to push for higher salaries for teachers. We thought that this would be a nice way to honor him and achieve goal of helping Newman, especially after Katrina, and therefore New Orleans. Another thing we had in mind was that it would be nice if the Newman community in New Orleans saw that there were people not living in New Orleans any longer who were pitching in to help.”

Harry Blumenthal ’63, who has also been involved with the fund, agrees this is a fitting tribute to his old friend. “It really reflects his interests and concerns,” he says. “And I think it’s important to remember all of David’s contributions to Newman.”