By Madison Lewis

“Funny” and “relatable” are two words to describe Upper and Middle School woodworking teacher and track coach Steve Hart (‘78), says track athlete Claire Lareau (‘25). “Coach Hart is probably the most patient and understanding coach I have ever had. He does a good job supporting his athletes without being overly positive or giving them false confidence,” she continued. If you see a student project made of wood on Collegiate’s campus, it’s a safe bet that it was made in one of Hart’s classes. Both in the workshop and on the track, Hart makes an impression on his students. 

Since his father, Dr. Phillip R. Hart, taught New Testament studies in the Department of Religion at the University of Richmond, Hart and his family grew up in a university house adjacent to the campus. This proximity to the academic world influenced Hart’s outlook on life: “My whole mindset was governed by ideas of athletics, beautiful architecture, and an academic environment.”

Reflecting on his family, Hart characterizes his father as “kind, scholarly, gregarious, honest, caring, and hardworking.” He shares how his mother, Jean P. Hart, dedicated over two decades to teaching Middle School English and history here at Collegiate. Additionally, Hart has one brother, Philip Hart (‘74), who followed the Collegiate path and later pursued a legal career in Richmond.

When Hart was in second grade, his father embarked on a year-long teaching venture in England, where Hart and his family followed. His father put together many tours for college students and other individuals to Europe, the Middle East, Scandinavia, Northern Africa, and the Soviet Union, and his family accompanied him when Hart was between the ages of six and sixteen. Out of all the places Hart has traveled, England holds a special place in his heart. He recalls, “I liked it the most in England because of the whole idea of castles, the legends of Robin Hood, and The Tower of London, especially being a young guy. I was affected by hearing about the gruesome things that happened there.” 

Hart’s education began at Tuckahoe Elementary School until the 6th grade, before transferring to Collegiate in the 7th Grade. Something he liked about Collegiate is that “you didn’t have to be an absolutely superior athlete to enjoy being competitive on the sports teams, as you do in a larger public school.” Hart was a part of the football, soccer, and track teams in the Upper School; however, he excelled on the track.

Hart was introduced to woodworking at 16 by a faculty member at Collegiate, Alex Smith, who taught Hart and a few other Senior boys how to build a table. Smith, at the time in 1977, was his teacher and coach, but eventually, Smith became the Vice President of Development at Collegiate.

During Hart’s years as a student, boys and girls at Collegiate were separated in Grades 5th through 12th in different buildings, but he appreciates Collegiate’s current (mostly) co-ed structure: “Today, we have boys and girls running together at track practice, and in classes together. It seems much more fun that way.”

After graduating from Collegiate in 1978, Hart followed his father’s footsteps back to the University of Richmond, majoring in English studies. He continued at the University of Richmond, graduating from the University of Richmond’s School of Law in 1985. After law school, Hart practiced general law with an older lawyer, Willard Norwood, for 14 years here in Richmond. Real estate, divorce, criminal, estate planning and administration, and bankruptcy were some of the many areas of law that Hart specialized in.

Hart then came to Collegiate in 1999 and worked in the Development Office for 14 years, becoming the Director of Planned Giving, while also coaching track. This type of fundraising assists donors who want to support the school financially through different parts of their estate plans, such as through their wills, trusts, and other more complex arrangements. Hart said he liked it, as “it was a way to use my legal experience in a way that helped the development efforts of the school that was outside the typical cash gifts that people made through the Annual Fund [now called the Collegiate Fund], major gifts, or through capital campaigns. I especially enjoyed working under and learning from Alex Smith, who for many years was the school’s senior development officer. He was a terrific guy, and he loved Collegiate very much.”

A pile of Hart’s wood shavings from a project. Photo courtesy of Steve Hart.

In 2013, there was an opportunity to start a formal woodworking program within the art department here at Collegiate, which interested him, even though he did not study art in college. He took the position as a woodworking teacher and has been mentoring students in the arts ever since.

One of his most remarkable projects is a house that he and his father built, primarily by themselves, in Deltaville, Virginia, on a waterfront lot down on the Chesapeake Bay. Hart is rather humble about his skills, as he has never entered any of his pieces into any competitions. Other larger scale pieces Hart has built include a Colonial mahogany drop front desk, a tall case clock built of teak, and a mahogany stand-up desk patterned after one in Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Not only does Hart consider himself to be a woodworker, but he also considers himself to be a runner. “It makes me feel good in lots of different ways,” he says. When asked what he enjoys about running, Hart replied, “I like the way Coach Weldon Bradshaw would answer this question: ‘The athlete’s performance is done individually, but then all the teammates’ performances are collectively formed into a team effort.’” Influential track coaches who shaped him into the runner he is today include longtime track coach Jim Hickey, for whom the Collegiate track is named, and Bradshaw.

Aside from track and field, Hart spends his time sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with his family. He and his family have been a boating and sailing family for many years, and he says it will continue to be an activity that brings them closer together as the years go by.

Hart and his family. Photo credit: Steve Hart.

He is married to Ann Hart, who attended Douglas Freeman High School, and The College of William and Mary, and whose father also worked at the University of Richmond. They have two sons, Will (‘12) and Sam (‘20), who both attended Collegiate and ran track here. Both went on to attend the College of William and Mary. He also has a 13-year-old dachshund named Hannah, whom he loves dearly. 

As for advice for students, Hart advises “individuals to slow down and take the time to listen to others.” He also says, “Try to do what I did in college, which was to take a class in every different department in the University. Just try out a lot of different offerings and experiences.” 

Featured image credit: Collegiate School.