By Warner Cabaniss

One word to describe Leavenworth “Wortie” Ferrell (‘88): outgoing. Taking a trip to Italy to meet people amid the coronavirus panic? No big deal. Teaching at three prestigious schools across the country? As long as he’s making new connections, he views it as worthwhile. Ferrell has an invaluable character and is well known not only in the Collegiate community, but in the greater Richmond area and beyond for his genuine personality and his contagious laugh.

Since a young age, I have personally known Ferrell as a compassionate friend of my father’s and someone who I occasionally see on the golf course, but in the past few years I have grown to know him as a mentor and a great person. Ferrell attended Collegiate School in the 1980s and then Princeton University, graduating in 1993. He would eventuall go on to earn a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Virginia and a Masters in Education from Columbia University. 

A young Ferrell in Upper School. Photo credit: Collegiate School.

A young Ferrell recalls a very different Collegiate than what we experience today. When asked about the instances that stand out the most, a fast reply included: “The DFI list, demerit study hall, and most definitely back-to-back PE periods.” In the 1980s, the Upper School’s DFI list mandated that a student could not miss a class for any athletic competition if they had a D, F, or an Incomplete in that class. He added, “there was something special for those on double secret academic probation—they couldn’t miss any class if they were too deep in the hole.”

Another old rule that Ferrell experienced that is foreign to our current Upper School landscape was the demerit study hall. In the 1980s, demerits were still used in the Upper School. When given one, a student had to attend the prototypical demerit study hall, but instead of a Monday afternoon, like in Middle School, it would instead be held on a Friday night, a much more daunting punishment compared to Monday afternoon. Ferrell recalls the demerit study halls lasting three hours, so students who had sports or away games had the opportunity to fulfill their sentence. 

Double physical education (P.E.) periods were another opportunity that students today do not get to enjoy. Every day, Middle School boys got to enjoy back-to-back P.E. periods, with competitive teams that correlated with the current sports season. Ferrell grew connections with fellow classmates that “would last for my remaining years at Collegiate.” He and his friends from Collegiate still argue over sixth grade Super Bowls played on Grover Jones Field, and one-sided trades that turned seasons upside down for multiple teams.

Ferrell says those long P.E. periods helped build team chemistry with fellow athletes and classmates, which helped teams find more success in competitions and games.

Ferrell on the Collegiate Athletics Hall Of Fame wall. Photo credit: Vlastik Svab.

After graduating from Collegiate and Princeton, Ferrell came back to Collegiate to be a teacher and coach in 1993. He taught history for 6th graders, along with coaching football, wrestling, golf, and lacrosse. His continued love for sports eventually landed him in Collegiate’s Athletic Hall of Fame, a rare three-sport inductee that included football, wrestling, and lacrosse. He would continue to coach football, wrestling, and lacrosse at his future schools, including Collegiate and Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, where Ferrell was Dean of Students. He worked there for seven years, coaching lacrosse and wrestling for the duration and football for two years. 

After Episcopal, Ferrell ventured to St. Mark’s, another highly-esteemed school in Dallas, Texas, where he was the Upper School Head. Being an Upper School head presented different challenges than previous roles, as Ferrell had to juggle various administrative responsibilities, and he never felt that he was “not on,” always having to look after someone or something.

He and his wife have three children, and when the youngest turned three, they felt it was best to move back to Richmond to raise their family. They were “excited to return to a familiar environment.” Today, Farrell works for Davenport & Co. as an investment manager.  

Ferrell still enjoys playing golf and, since COVID-19, tennis with his family and friends, as well as contributing to the community in many different ways. He has come full circle from being a student, to then a teacher, and now a parent of three Collegiate Cougars. In all, he has accumulated approximately 45 years of wear and tear on Collegiate’s campus. 

Finally, if he were to have 24 hours to do anything in the world, he would do a Liberty jigsaw puzzle with Giles, go to a UVA basketball game at John Paul Jones Arena with Rosie, and play a round of golf with McGill.   

Featured image: Collegiate School.