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Richard W. Mecham 1922 - 2004
Richard W. Mechem, 82, former Newton principal
By Tom Long, Globe Staff | December 25, 2004
Richard W. Mechem, 82, a former principal of Newton High School, died Dec. 14 at his home in Gloucester.
Mr. Mechem was principal of Newton High School, now Newton North, for 22 years until his retirement in 1982.
Mr. Mechem was an Evanston, Ill., native. He graduated from St. Paul's School in Concord, N.H., where he later taught. His educationat Harvard College was expedited so he could serve in the Navy during World War II.
After serving on a destroyer in the South Pacific, he graduated with the Harvard class of 1945 and returned to St. Paul's. He taught there 11 years.
He was then principal of Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati for three years before becoming principal of Newton High.
"My change from private to public school work is symbolic of my social views," Mr. Mechem wrote in the 25th anniversary report of his class at Harvard. "The current generation looks at me as a tired representative of the establishment, and it seems to be of little help that I had many of their ideas 25 years ago."
He wrote that he never trusted the capitalist system and worried about the establishment view of war in 1942. "Poverty amidst affluence, cutthroat business practices by churchgoing citizens, the obvious artificiality of a Wall Street-based economy, the arrogance of privatism [including, alas, Harvard and St. Paul's ], are but a few of the sociological factors which caused me to move first into education, and then into public education," he wrote.
Mr. Mechem was also a trustee of the Judge Baker Children's Center in Boston.
"He was only 22 years older than me, and so he had a very close relationship with all of my peers," his son, R. Thompson of Gloucester, said yesterday, noting that his friends and his father shared a love of sailing, tennis, and hockey. "It's been interesting since his passing to hear all of my contemporaries talk about how close a relationship they had with him, both as a mentor and competitor."
In addition to his son, Mr. Mechem leaves his wife, Gilda Levine Mechem; a daughter, Ann Ziergiebel of Gloucester; another son, George W. of Lexington; four stepdaughters, Raida Goldman and Roberta Phillips, both of Florida, Marjorie Ritvo of Vermont, and Diane Gardener of Newton; a sister, Barbara Smith of Gloucester; 16 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Jan. 8 in Annisquam Village Church in Gloucester.
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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Helen Boyd
Principal-First half Senior year Mr. Mecham decided to teach a 2-credit course in AP Psychology. I had already signed up. I’m 100% certain he was aware of my behavioral issues. This could have been a mano a mano situation. My record was in concrete. He was just such a damn fine teacher working with a topic of interest to us all that it was nothing short of perfect. I was my usual outspoken interrupting self, but he “handled” me beautifully. Although he was the principal, he was also a teacher par excellance. I got a B. I earned it. He was a tough marker. He was smart and skillful. We’re putting this page together to honor our great teachers. Richard Meacham was their chief. You couldn’t help but respect the person he was, an example I can only strive to emulate. (Bob Biederman)