By Athena Yeung ’13

A few weeks before Williston’s 2012-2013 Convocation, a member of the Williston development office visited Mr. Richard C. Gregory to tell him that a chair was being established under his name to be awarded to a faculty member. He had yet to know that the chair was going to be presented to Mr. Gregory Tuleja, his longtime colleague and friend, but he knew the chair in his name would give recognition to a member in the community that deserved it.

Mr. Gregory had retired from Williston Northampton School in 2004, after teaching History, Music and English for 43 years. He was the one who decided on hiring Mr. Tuleja after reading his job application, which Mr. Hill read at Convocation before presenting the award, in the year of 1983.

“He is a very fine person… he plays the flute and is a musician of high caliber,” said Mr. Gregory in a recent interview about Mr. Tuleja.

Mr. Tuleja remembered his first meeting with Mr. Gregory when he drove to Williston from New Jersey that summer in 1983. He had just graduated from Rutgers University and was looking for a job as a music teacher at a New England boarding school. Mr. Gregory was the one who “showed him around.” Mr. Tuleja started teaching that fall and began his long-lasting relationship with Mr. Gregory, which ranged from the Music department to the English department. They had played in the faculty orchestra, performed in concerts and worked in the theater together.

Mr. Tuleja values the chair not just because of the honor. “It’s a great honor to be recognized,” said Mr. Tuleja earnestly, “but [the chair] coming from Mr. Gregory means the world to me.”

This is the second chair he has received, the first of which he received for teaching at Williston for 25 years. Both of the chairs will remain in his office until retirement. “They’ll be here for another 5, 10 years. Students sit on them sometimes,” said Mr. Tuleja.

Another highlight for Mr. Tuleja that night was his son’s surprise visit. His son had flown from Las Vegas especially to attend the ceremony with Mrs. Tuleja. “I was very surprised that they knew before me. It was great,” says Mr. Tuleja.