Eugene Yelchin, Award-winning children's book author and illustrator
James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers, Westminster Abbey
Dr. Harold Tanner, History Professor & World Traveler
Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky, biologist, neuroscientist, writer, and stress Expert
Celebration Jazz Orchestra
Dr. Wade Davis, ethnographer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker
Dr. Andrea Bertozzi, Director of Applied Mathematics, UCLA
Billy Collins, U.S. Poet Laureate 2001–2003
Dr. David Gonzalez, Latin Storyteller
Rob Kapilow, conductor/composer
Robin Wiszowaty, Kenya Program Director, Free The Children
Each year, distinguished scholars, artists, lecturers, and teachers are brought to campus to enhance the school’s program and give boys exposure to other perspectives, ideas, and experiences. Funding comes to St. Mark's from the Robert E. Dennard Visiting Scholars Program, The Willard E. Walker, Jr '66 Visiting Scholar Program, and the Green-McDermott Guest Lecture Fund. Notable authors, lecturers, historians, scientists, business leaders, artists, and others share their knowledge, experience, and insight with the students as they lecture, perform, and visit classes. Guest lecturers bring a variety of interesting topics to campus in an effort to enrich and broaden the education of our boys.
Robert E. Dennard Visiting Scholar for 2016–2017
Mr. Casey Sherman Bestsellng author, screenwriter, and storyteller Tuesday & Wednesday, November 1–2, 2016
Best-selling author, investigative journalist, true-crime writer and Emmy-nominated television producer Casey Sherman examines hope, resilience and courage under fire in some of the most captivating stories of our time — from the greatest small boat rescue in U.S. history to his own personal search for justice in the notorious Boston Strangler case. His book The Finest Hours became the basis for the 2016 major motion picture starring Chris Pine, and his latest book, Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph Over Tragedy, is the basis for the upcoming film Patriots Day, starring Mark Wahlberg.
Sherman is also a contributing writer for Esquire, Huffington Post, Boston Magazine andFOX News, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work as a television news producer for WBZ-TV. He has appeared on more than 100 television programs, including segments for CNN, FOX News, The Today Show, C-SPAN, Unsolved Mysteries, The History Channel, ABC World News Tonight, The CBS Evening News, Discovery, The Travel Channel and The View.
Sherman was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts, in 1969 and graduated from Fryeberg Academy and Boston University. A gifted storyteller and commanding speaker, he has performed his one-man show Tales of Suspense at venues around the country, including the historic Wilbur Theatre in Boston.
Willard E. Walker, Jr. ’66 Visiting Scholar for 2016–2017
Dr. Alex McDonald
Pianist Wednesday & Thursday, February 1–2, 2017
Since his orchestral debut at age 11, pianist Alex McDonald has soloed with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de Mexico, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has performed across the United States as well as in Israel, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. Awards and fellowships include second prize at the 2007 New Orleans International Piano Competition and second prize at the 2001 Gina Bachauer International Young Artist Piano Competition. In 2008, he was named a Harvey Fellow by the Mustard Seed Foundation. In 2013, he was a competitor in the 2014 Van Cliburn Competition. He also served as the guest festival director for the Basically Beethoven Festival in 2016.
Dr. McDonald received his pre-college training under Lois Nielson, his bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory with Academic Honors and Distinction in Performance under Russell Sherman, and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Juilliard under Yoheved Kaplinsky and Julian Martin.
Teaching in collaboration with his mother Marcy McDonald, their students have won national honors at various competitions and have soloed with the Dallas Symphony, the Dallas Chamber Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, among others. Deeply concerned about a healthy integration of life with music, Dr. McDonald has actively pursued community formation both as an R.A. in the Juilliard residence hall and as president of Juilliard Christian Fellowship.
Past Guest Speakers
2018 James Prosek Artist, writer, and naturalist
Ruta Sepetys Bestselling author of historical fiction 2017 Robert Edsel '75
Bestselling author and historian
Grace Lin Children's Author and Illustrator
2016 Casey Sherman
Bestselling author, screenwriter, and storyteller
Dr. Alex McDonald Pianist
2015 Eugene Yelchin Award-winning artist, author, and children’s book illustrator
Mr. Carl Zimmer
Science Writer & Blogger
2014
Dr. Harold Tanner
History Professor & World Traveler
James O’Donnell
Organist and Master of the Choristers, Westminster Abbey
2013 Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky
Biologist, Neuroscientist, Writer, and Stress Expert
Celebration Jazz Orchestra Musical Group
2012 Billy Collins Poet
Dr. Wade Davis
Ethnographer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker
2011 Dr. Andrea Bertozzi Applied Mathematics
Dr. David Gonzalez Latin Storyteller
2010 Robin Wiszowaty Kenya Program Director, Free The Children
Craig Kielburger Founder & Chair, Free The Children
Rob Kapilow Conductor/Composer
2009 Dr. Spencer Wells Population Geneticist
Dr. Charles Kimball Director of Religious Studies, University of Oklahoma
Jeffery Davis Poet & Creative Writing Coach
2008 Dr. Mark Moffett Ecologist & National Geographic Photographer
Alma Guillermoprieto Latin American Journalist
Dr. H.W. Brands Professor of American History, UT
2007 Cedza Dlamini Social Developer in Africa
The N'Awlins Gumbo Kings Jazz Musicians
Janet Wallach President, Seeds of Peace
2006 Dr. Alan Stern ’75 Planetary Scientist
Naomi Shiham Nye Poet, Essayist, and Teacher
Dr. Louise Leakey Paleoanthropologist
2005 James McLurkin Roboticist
Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies
Dr. Francisco Jimenez Writer & Professor of Mexican-American Literature
2004 Gus Lee Author & Ethicist
Jonathan Holloway & Raul Ramos Yale Race Relations Professors
David H. Levy Science Editor, Parade Magazine Co-Discoverer of Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet
2003 Tim Severin Explorer & Writer
Charles Duff Shakespearean Actor & Director
Wade Davis Anthropologist, Ethnobotanist & Explorer
St. Mark's School of Texas
10600 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
About Us
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.