Meet Charlie Noyes ’78, P’03,’07

Charlie Noyes ’78, P’03,’07 was a visual art teacher for 33 years as well as a Lufkin Prize recipient. He remains a Salisbury, Connecticut, resident and is a new member of the Town Hill Society along with his wife of 40 years, Karin. After decades of the Noyes family supporting Hotchkiss, Charlie and Karin established the newly renamed Noyes Family Scholarship to financially support Hotchkiss’s students. (See a fund description at the end of this story.)

Tell us about your time here as a student and what you liked most about your experience.
I came here as a total rube in the ’70s; I was absolutely naive. Boarding school was not in my line of vision, but my dad attended Hotchkiss and my mom always loved the idea of me applying someday. I applied as an upper mid after getting mostly A’s at my high school, but I scored a 55 out of 100 on the SSAT—so I repeated 10th grade when I came to Hotchkiss. I was young for my class anyway; and while I did not see this as an opportunity to reinvent myself, I was hoping to have a different experience than I had at my previous school.

Hotchkiss was overwhelming in a lot of ways because everyone seemed so smart. I was lucky to have some amazing teachers and corridor (dorm) faculty—such as Carl and Jennifer Hagelin. I lived in Memorial Hall and spent a lot of time with them in what I considered a very safe place. In fact, a lot of my humor and silliness come from the Hagelins because Carl and Jennifer were so cheerful and bright. I recently spent some time with Carl and let him know how he influenced me. It was very special.

How did you come to embrace your artistic side?
I certainly wasn’t a jock or a brainiac, but I took my first art class with Blanche Hoar and she kicked my butt … in a good way! She helped me realize an ability I never knew I had. I took art with her for three years and found my place in the art studio. It was at this time that I was recognized as an artist.

How did Hotchkiss lead you to college?
I attended Middlebury College and majored in English with a minor in studio art. I pursued art all four years and got into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society without even knowing what it was. Hotchkiss truly prepared me for college. Academically, I knew how to study and talk to adults and work with teachers. I knew how to work hard and be away from home.

I also made sure I never spent a weekend in the library due to Saturday classes here. It was like a vacation to have weekends free. I became president of the Mountain Club and did a lot of outdoor activities in college and beyond.

I got engaged to Karin in my senior year and stayed at Middlebury after graduation. She was going to coach running that fall, but her job was pulled and she found her niche in a craft shop downtown. There was a strong connection to the art scene in Middlebury, and Frog Hollow was a funky, edgy hub of creativity. Eventually, Karin got the athletics job at Middlebury, and I found a spot in student activities. I really enjoyed working with students.

What led you back to Hotchkiss?
It was just a coincidence. I found myself in a variety of professions after Middlebury, including advertising, carpentry, and commercial printing. Nothing really clicked. During this period I had returned to Hotchkiss several times to visit friends and have informational interviews with folks in art, English, and admission. I wasn’t looking for a job; I was simply learning about these teaching careers. Then out of the blue I received a call from Joy Vaughn in the art department to come up for a formal teaching interview. I was really starting to get excited about this being the next thing, so I came up for a day of interviews, ending with Sam Coughlin, our first female dean of faculty.

Two weeks later I was offered a position. It was great timing because we already had a toddler Megan (H’03) and we welcomed our second child Nicholas the following year. Merrick (H’07) followed two years later. Hotchkiss was a wonderful place to raise our kids. During our Hotchkiss years I had amazing opportunities for further education (RISD ’93), student travel, and incredible professional development.

How has Hotchkiss evolved over the years?
When I was a student, I could have easily fallen through the cracks. Today there are many levels of support. But back then, in many ways it was sink or swim. It was less warm and fuzzy in those days, although if you didn’t connect in a significant way with one adult on some level, that was an exception. You could always find someone.

There were no health advocates back then, but we did have a clinical psychologist who kept regular hours. I saw Dr. Mirable and he helped me with a relationship issue, and he taught me that it’s important to express what you're thinking and feeling honestly. But don’t expect validation or confirmation from anyone because you are not in control of that. It was a great life lesson.

As a beloved teacher, how, in turn, do Hotchkiss students inspire you?
My approach to teaching has always been to meet students where they are and to help them go to places they never thought they could go.

Just like how Blanche Hoar helped me in art; I learned I was capable, and good, and successful, even when I didn’t have a clue about that capacity within me.

I also need to know when to let go with each student—when to push and when to back off and have them dazzle me with their ideas and creations. That’s the blessing of teaching, when the kids are teaching you. For example, I’ll have in my head that success will look like XYZ, and they will come back with QR7 … and it floors me! Then I make sure to tell them how and why they impressed me. They may have a passion to make things work, but they also have to explain why certain things work or don’t.

At Hotchkiss, we help empower kids to be teachers themselves and to be a support system and source of inspiration for their peers. Here, you study art, you don't just “take” it, and you learn and evolve—just as you do in any other subject.

The proximal zone of learning is where you challenge kids with goals that are achievable based on their skill set and ability. It’s not a cake walk, but you want them to be in that zone where it’s interesting and challenging but doable. You don’t want them to give up or to have it be too easy either. In fact, getting kids to embrace what they're bad at takes the blinders off and frees them to do ever more amazing work.

I learned early on that talent gets in the way of learning. I was always more interested in evolving capacity and confidence in my students. It’s too easy to rest on your laurels if you have a talent; if you nurture capacity and curiosity, kids learn that they can exercise that ability till the cows come home. In essence, it’s about fostering a growth mindset.

It took me 25 years to know that the most important thing I can teach kids is how to build and sustain a supportive learning community. I held them to consistent standards, and they often thought of me as strict. I'd say that I am only doing what I said I would do—being clear, consistent, and fair. And fun!

Your affection for Hotchkiss runs deep. Why do you care so much about the School?
Hotchkiss allowed me to do so many of the things I wanted to do. I sang there, I acted, I made art, I started a climbing program and even started a farm program. I had opportunities to work and learn with amazing students and inspiring colleagues for more than 30 years. I never felt bored or stale.

Working with such bright, motivated kids keeps one young. I was given amazing opportunities beyond comparison; people can come here, and it can change the trajectory of their life's path in so many ways—often because they’ve had myriad opportunities to explore and succeed.

You and Karin offered an interesting way to include Hotchkiss in your estate plan. Tell us about your method and decision.
My dad (newspaper publisher) who was Class of 1941 had a formative experience here and attributed his intellectual curiosity and his ability to write to Hotchkiss. He was gracious and kind, and people loved him. He pulled me aside 20 years ago and he said he was taking out a life insurance policy because he wanted to give generously to Hotchkiss—a million dollars to the School with an insurance policy that he needed me to co-sign. As I recall, he explained the way this works: he didn’t want to take anything away from his children, but he wanted to support the school that educated him. When he died, the second-to-die life insurance policy went to my mom. And when she passed, the bequest paid out to the School.

I remember that first gift of the Noyes Scholarship (to a remarkable young woman from small-town Texas), and I’ve personally known so many students and advisees who’ve benefited from similar scholarships. That inaugural student totally took her Hotchkiss experience and ran with it, making the most of her time here.

After retirement Karin and I called our financial advisor, and we took out policies for our children as well as for Hotchkiss. It just made sense; as usual, my dad had great ideas and vision. It was a painless decision that worked well for our family. We pay a higher premium for a short time, but we know that we have that secure chunk that will go to the School without worrying about it. We renamed the scholarship knowing that it will now receive more funds down the line.

I know my dad would love this, and Karin supported it. It honors my dad’s wishes and his process, and we could substantially grow the scholarship without feeling a sting. And things won’t get tied up in probate for years; it’s immediate.

As a motivational person and professional development coach, what are some words of inspiration you’d like to share with us?
Understand what matters to you and keep that in the front of your mind when you make decisions about how you move through the world. And try to be as genuine and real as possible. If you keep what matters out front, it’s easier to embrace and live those things that you care about—which gives your life meaning.

And just be nice. Be kind to other people, and good things follow.

About the Noyes Family Scholarship
The Noyes Family Scholarship supports unrestricted financial aid and was created in 2023 when it was merged with the Harrison Noyes ’41 and Barbara Noyes Scholarship that was established in 2018.

The Noyes Family Scholarship was created by a planned gift from Charles D. “Charlie” Noyes ’78 P’03,’07 and Karin Noyes P’03,’07. The Noyes Family Scholarship is a permanent endowment that will help to support students receiving financial assistance from The Hotchkiss School. The Noyes Family Scholarship is inspired by Charlie’s parents, Harrison Noyes ’41 and Barbara Noyes P’78, GP’03,’07,’08, whose generous estate provision created the Harrison Noyes ’41, GP’03,’07,’08 and Barbara Noyes P’78, GP’03,’07,’08 Scholarship Fund in February 2000. The Noyes Family Scholarship will continue that fund’s legacy while welcoming the generosity of subsequent generations of Noyes family members.