John Moreau: Collegiate's Goodwill Ambassador
Mention the name John Moreau to anyone even remotely associated with Collegiate School over the years, and chances are that your response will be a smile and a vivid recollection or two or three or four.
During his 34 years on North Mooreland Road, Moreau served in a wide variety of capacities: teacher, department chair, coach, director of development, athletic director, voice of the Cougars, eternal optimist, good will ambassador, mentor, friend, role model.
He is one of those folks who knows everybody and his brother, sister, parents, and grandparents.
When he returns to campus to substitute teach or simply to visit, he’s something of a celebrity.
During his 34 years on North Mooreland Road, Moreau served in a wide variety of capacities: teacher, department chair, coach, director of development, athletic director, voice of the Cougars, eternal optimist, good will ambassador, mentor, friend, role model.
He is one of those folks who knows everybody and his brother, sister, parents, and grandparents.
When he returns to campus to substitute teach or simply to visit, he’s something of a celebrity.
Moreau’s career path took him from Chandler Middle School in the City of Richmond (1964-66) to Collegiate (1966-68) to Brookland Middle School in Henrico County (1968-73) and back to Collegiate where he worked his magic until he retired in 2005.
He officiated basketball for 37 years (32 at the college level) and has worked with Special Olympics of Virginia for 24 years (including two as board chairman), served on the alumni board at the University of Richmond, and played an active role in the life of First Baptist Church.
He’s a seasoned traveler and this past summer refereed basketball in the World Games of the Special Olympics in Athens, Greece.
In 2006, he was inducted into Collegiate’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
During a respite in his busy retirement schedule, he and I talked about the evolution of Collegiate and life in general as we have so many times during our 40-year friendship.
What do you recall about the early when the North Mooreland Road campus was a fairly new entity and we didn’t have nearly the resources we have now?
Immediately, you think of the people: Mac Pitt, Catharine Flippen, Petey Jacobs, Grover Jones. The reason I came here was to work under Petey Jacobs, who was the epitome of a sportsman.
Coming to Collegiate was an adventure because I’m a public school boy.
When I came here, I knew I was in a very special environment. That came to be true so quickly when you saw the impact of the faculty, the closeness of the faculty, and the closeness of the families.
Back in those days, Mr. Pitt talked a lot about Collegiate being a family school. That was one of his themes. How did you interpret what he meant?
Once a child came to Collegiate, back in those days and even today, you become part of the Collegiate Family. You’re part of a very special family that will look after your child, look after you. It’s a very supportive environment. Being the size we are, people get to know each other well. The faculty’s love and devotion to students and the reverse is powerful here.
Where does that spirit come from?
You go back to Mac Pitt and Mrs. Flippen. You go back to the real concern for families in their child’s education. I had just come from the Richmond public schools and loved that experience, but to see the involvement of parents here…
I don’t mean overshadowing or smothering a child here, but to see how involved they are…that’s where it began.
And the school recruits faculty who care and have a lot of compassion and empathy.
Was Collegiate even on your radar screen when you graduated from the University of Richmond?
It was, because of my affection for the Pitt family and for Petey Jacobs. I didn’t know it would fall in place like it did. It’s been the blessing of my life.
Talk about the early days.
I came here as a teacher and coach. Mr. Pitt gave me the opportunity. In fact, he’s the one who encouraged me to go into administration with Henrico County to see how that fit in. I didn’t know what was going through his mind as far as the possibility of coming back here, but I always felt that when I went to the public schools, it would be great to come back to Collegiate. The Good Lord blessed me.
So in Mr. Pitt’s grand scheme, he encouraged you to spread your wings?
I loved it at Collegiate, but Henrico came to me with the opportunity to become an administrator. I looked forward to the challenges.
How has Collegiate changed over the years?
What you’ve seen has been a greater interest in Collegiate School. The admissions department would probably tell you that. You hear the word diversity. We have a lot more children of international families than we did before.
When you come to facilities…oh, my goodness! When the athletic center was built, it allowed the MS physical education department to take off beautifully. The Board of Trustees back in those days…I give them a lot of credit.
When I was director of development, I saw them level the trees (on the east side of the campus). Everybody was worried about the trees. Oh, my goodness! You’re taking down some of the beauty of the campus. And you put two of the most beautifully textured fields (used for softball and field hockey) behind this school. Now when you come out here, it’s become a circular driveway and parking.
What was it like being a young teacher back in the school’s early days?
Forty-some years ago, I was the new man on the block. I knew there were challenges. I was teaching English, reading, and bible and coaching all three seasons. Getting to know the students and getting involved with the families…you’ve heard me use the word before. It was a blessing.
What are some memories – some vignettes – from your teaching, coaching, announcing games here that stand out?
It’s going to be strange to start with this one. When I was an advisor, I always liked the idea of the parents bringing the student with them to Conference Day. I would not trade those moments when those kids were there talking to their parents about their work and about whatever’s going on in their lives rather than me telling the parent and the parent going home telling the kid. I explained to my advisees, “You’re not on trial. You’re going to tell your story.” That’s the one that comes to mind first.
The coaching experience I had, of course. When you walk around today, and you say, “Coach Moreau, I remember that 7th grade football game when we were playing St. Christopher’s, and I think both teams might have been undefeated, and the score was nothing to nothing with less than a minute to go and you called for a field goal attempt by John Harper. The officials thought we were faking it. John kicked it right through the corner of the upright. Line drive. The final score was 3-0.
And then there was that softball game when we’re down 3-0 in the bottom of the 7th in the championship game of the LIS. They have the best pitcher in the league other than our own. Two outs. Nobody on. Yes, Collegiate won that game 4-3 with hits, not errors. That’s definitely a highlight.
That game was one of the most incredible, larger-than-life moments in Collegiate athletic history. Have you ever been able to get figure out just what it was that enabled you to come back when all seemed lost?
I’ve tried, but the two words I give are divine intervention. And of course my wife Bonnie (who died five months earlier after a courageous battle with cancer). I still think about that today.
She was there that day, wasn’t she?
She was. I can remember very vividly when we had the rain delay, lightning delay, going around to the cars and telling everyone, this game is not over. And every one of them from the heart said, “I know it’s not over, Coach Moreau.”
When we went into the huddle before we started back, I told them, “There’s nobody here in this whole complex that thinks we can win, except us.”
Girls who had struck out twice against this very good pitcher got hits. Divine intervention.
Do you miss being out here every day?
I’ve been asked that maybe 150 times. Yes, I do. I miss the kids. I miss the families. I miss the faculty I worked with. I miss the atmosphere.
But when I retired, it allowed me to be the busiest man in the world, as my wife Lynn (whom he married March 9, 2002) will tell you, without being programmed every day from 8 until whatever time I got home from practice.
I admire what’s happened here. The one thing I hope they’re able to keep here is the closeness as the school gets bigger facility-wise and people get spread out. I hope the faculty is somewhat as close as we were then. I know there’re a lot more staff here than we had when we first began. I just hope that closeness is still there.
From your vantage point, what’s remained the same since you first walked in the door in 1964.
People. The memories when you walk down these halls. Collegiate’s charisma. Its aura.
What can this generation of faculty learn from your generation?
Get to know your students. Really get to know them. Let the students know that you really care about them. That’s one.
Try to maintain a calm atmosphere where you don’t have to raise your voice.
When you talk to kids, talk to them the way you would want them talking to you.
That makes a difference.
-- Weldon Bradshaw
Back
He officiated basketball for 37 years (32 at the college level) and has worked with Special Olympics of Virginia for 24 years (including two as board chairman), served on the alumni board at the University of Richmond, and played an active role in the life of First Baptist Church.
He’s a seasoned traveler and this past summer refereed basketball in the World Games of the Special Olympics in Athens, Greece.
In 2006, he was inducted into Collegiate’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
During a respite in his busy retirement schedule, he and I talked about the evolution of Collegiate and life in general as we have so many times during our 40-year friendship.
What do you recall about the early when the North Mooreland Road campus was a fairly new entity and we didn’t have nearly the resources we have now?
Immediately, you think of the people: Mac Pitt, Catharine Flippen, Petey Jacobs, Grover Jones. The reason I came here was to work under Petey Jacobs, who was the epitome of a sportsman.
Coming to Collegiate was an adventure because I’m a public school boy.
When I came here, I knew I was in a very special environment. That came to be true so quickly when you saw the impact of the faculty, the closeness of the faculty, and the closeness of the families.
Back in those days, Mr. Pitt talked a lot about Collegiate being a family school. That was one of his themes. How did you interpret what he meant?
Once a child came to Collegiate, back in those days and even today, you become part of the Collegiate Family. You’re part of a very special family that will look after your child, look after you. It’s a very supportive environment. Being the size we are, people get to know each other well. The faculty’s love and devotion to students and the reverse is powerful here.
Where does that spirit come from?
You go back to Mac Pitt and Mrs. Flippen. You go back to the real concern for families in their child’s education. I had just come from the Richmond public schools and loved that experience, but to see the involvement of parents here…
I don’t mean overshadowing or smothering a child here, but to see how involved they are…that’s where it began.
And the school recruits faculty who care and have a lot of compassion and empathy.
Was Collegiate even on your radar screen when you graduated from the University of Richmond?
It was, because of my affection for the Pitt family and for Petey Jacobs. I didn’t know it would fall in place like it did. It’s been the blessing of my life.
Talk about the early days.
I came here as a teacher and coach. Mr. Pitt gave me the opportunity. In fact, he’s the one who encouraged me to go into administration with Henrico County to see how that fit in. I didn’t know what was going through his mind as far as the possibility of coming back here, but I always felt that when I went to the public schools, it would be great to come back to Collegiate. The Good Lord blessed me.
So in Mr. Pitt’s grand scheme, he encouraged you to spread your wings?
I loved it at Collegiate, but Henrico came to me with the opportunity to become an administrator. I looked forward to the challenges.
How has Collegiate changed over the years?
What you’ve seen has been a greater interest in Collegiate School. The admissions department would probably tell you that. You hear the word diversity. We have a lot more children of international families than we did before.
When you come to facilities…oh, my goodness! When the athletic center was built, it allowed the MS physical education department to take off beautifully. The Board of Trustees back in those days…I give them a lot of credit.
When I was director of development, I saw them level the trees (on the east side of the campus). Everybody was worried about the trees. Oh, my goodness! You’re taking down some of the beauty of the campus. And you put two of the most beautifully textured fields (used for softball and field hockey) behind this school. Now when you come out here, it’s become a circular driveway and parking.
What was it like being a young teacher back in the school’s early days?
Forty-some years ago, I was the new man on the block. I knew there were challenges. I was teaching English, reading, and bible and coaching all three seasons. Getting to know the students and getting involved with the families…you’ve heard me use the word before. It was a blessing.
What are some memories – some vignettes – from your teaching, coaching, announcing games here that stand out?
It’s going to be strange to start with this one. When I was an advisor, I always liked the idea of the parents bringing the student with them to Conference Day. I would not trade those moments when those kids were there talking to their parents about their work and about whatever’s going on in their lives rather than me telling the parent and the parent going home telling the kid. I explained to my advisees, “You’re not on trial. You’re going to tell your story.” That’s the one that comes to mind first.
The coaching experience I had, of course. When you walk around today, and you say, “Coach Moreau, I remember that 7th grade football game when we were playing St. Christopher’s, and I think both teams might have been undefeated, and the score was nothing to nothing with less than a minute to go and you called for a field goal attempt by John Harper. The officials thought we were faking it. John kicked it right through the corner of the upright. Line drive. The final score was 3-0.
And then there was that softball game when we’re down 3-0 in the bottom of the 7th in the championship game of the LIS. They have the best pitcher in the league other than our own. Two outs. Nobody on. Yes, Collegiate won that game 4-3 with hits, not errors. That’s definitely a highlight.
That game was one of the most incredible, larger-than-life moments in Collegiate athletic history. Have you ever been able to get figure out just what it was that enabled you to come back when all seemed lost?
I’ve tried, but the two words I give are divine intervention. And of course my wife Bonnie (who died five months earlier after a courageous battle with cancer). I still think about that today.
She was there that day, wasn’t she?
She was. I can remember very vividly when we had the rain delay, lightning delay, going around to the cars and telling everyone, this game is not over. And every one of them from the heart said, “I know it’s not over, Coach Moreau.”
When we went into the huddle before we started back, I told them, “There’s nobody here in this whole complex that thinks we can win, except us.”
Girls who had struck out twice against this very good pitcher got hits. Divine intervention.
Do you miss being out here every day?
I’ve been asked that maybe 150 times. Yes, I do. I miss the kids. I miss the families. I miss the faculty I worked with. I miss the atmosphere.
But when I retired, it allowed me to be the busiest man in the world, as my wife Lynn (whom he married March 9, 2002) will tell you, without being programmed every day from 8 until whatever time I got home from practice.
I admire what’s happened here. The one thing I hope they’re able to keep here is the closeness as the school gets bigger facility-wise and people get spread out. I hope the faculty is somewhat as close as we were then. I know there’re a lot more staff here than we had when we first began. I just hope that closeness is still there.
From your vantage point, what’s remained the same since you first walked in the door in 1964.
People. The memories when you walk down these halls. Collegiate’s charisma. Its aura.
What can this generation of faculty learn from your generation?
Get to know your students. Really get to know them. Let the students know that you really care about them. That’s one.
Try to maintain a calm atmosphere where you don’t have to raise your voice.
When you talk to kids, talk to them the way you would want them talking to you.
That makes a difference.
-- Weldon Bradshaw
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