The Chameleon

By Ingrid von Dattan Detweiler ’61

Concord Academy has evolved from a small, local, all-girls’ school into an internationally known coeducational school. The curriculum has changed to reflect the times. The school’s logo has changed—from a sketch of Haines House to a Chapel window. Over the years, the campus, the dining hall, and the Chapel have changed.

But the chameleon—CA’s symbol of adaptability—has not.

It’s unclear how or why the chameleon was chosen,or exactly when that happened, but “the critter” has been associated with the school for more than eighty years. When Philip McFarland was researching A History of Concord Academy and The Wilcox Years, alumnae told him that the chameleon dates from the era of Elsie Garland Hobson, who was headmistress from 1922 to 1937, and that it was used as a symbol before becoming the title of the school’s literary magazine, first published in December 1927.

Those not familiar with Concord Academy might refer to the image as a lizard, as Teacher Emerita Sylvia Mendenhall first did when she saw one embroidered just above the cuff on a fellow Smith College freshman’s blazer. Later Mendenhall would join the faculty at Concord Academy and, after teaching for fifteen years, receive her own lizard: a circular gold pin, about an inch in diameter, with a C and an A and a curly-tailed chameleon with green eyes.

Over the years, the chameleon has been used in a variety of ways—most notably on the school ring, but also on the cover of the literary magazine, in recognition of contributions to Annual Giving, on stationery, pillows, bags, pens, mugs, and clothing. More recently, the chameleon has become the school’s mascot and is used on athletic uniforms and equipment.

True to its nature, the chameleon has adjusted with the times. It remains an important part of CA—an enduring legacy and a symbol of how adaptable the school’s graduates can be while still maintaining their individuality.

Patches and Pins

During the early 1950s, the chameleon was awarded in recognition of good citizenship and athletic ability. Lisa Jenney Paige ’53 recalls students gathering in the gymnasium—now the Student-Faculty Center—with great anticipation at the end of the year. “The first year you were eligible for an award was in eighth grade,” Paige said. “I believe that’s the year I received a chameleon patch, which I sewed on the sleeve of my green blazer.” Students during those years wore green blazers with white piping on the lapels and pockets, which could have been considered an unofficial school uniform.

“In ninth grade a ‘CA’ made out of green and white felt letters was awarded and sewn onto the pocket of the blazer,” Paige recalled. “Then, in sophomore and junior year, you could receive a CA pin; I think one was silver and one gold. Senior year only one person received the citizenship award, which was a white blazer with a gold CA on the pocket.”

Crafty Critters

Merrie Crafts Thorpe ’61, who was a volunteer at CA in the late 1960s, recalls searching for a chameleon image that could be used to make a needlepoint sampler. She found the image she wanted in a book, blew it up, and added the CA at the end of the curled tail. She then used the chameleon on a needlepoint pillow and gave it to Mary Leigh Houston ’47, who in 1972 was completing her term as president of the Alumnae Association. A similar pillow adorns the sofa in the Aloian living room today. In the seventies, needlepoint kits to make the pillows were assembled and sold by the Alumnae/i Office.

Birth of The Ring

In the 1930s and ’40s, each class designed its ring. Helen Reynolds Smith ’36 recalls that her class created a chameleon intaglio in green onyx set in gold. It’s unclear whether rings featured the chameleon through the thirties and early forties. But Anna Borden Sides ’44 says the chameleon ring still used today was created by her class—a plain gold ring with a chameleon image etched in a recess of the rectangular top. Sides said other classes admired the design and decided to make it official and permanent. In later years, rings were made out of a variety of metals, but the image of the chameleon etched in the ring has not changed.

Turning Tails

Since at least the sixties, the chameleon ring has been worn tail-in until graduation, when it is turned to face the world.

(This story was originally published in the Winter 2008 issue of Concord Academy magazine.)