JOHN COMFORT: PART ONE
This summer, I was thumbing through some mystery books I read in high school. What fascinates me from time to time is not the memory of the book, but the tiny pieces of paper that fall out of the books. One creased and tea-stained tiny piece of paper I found in a Hugh Pentecost mystery was a quote from Lao Tzu, “Accomplish but do not boast, accomplish without show, accomplish without arrogance, accomplish without grabbing, accomplish without forcing.” I have no idea why I scrawled this quote and stuck it in a book about Pierre Chambrun, the manager of the exclusive Hotel Beaumont, who just so happened to dabble in solving crimes at his hotel (modeled, I gather, on the Plaza Hotel).
As I think about Mr. Comfort’s accomplishments when he was Headmaster at the school, I believe there is a reason why the quote fell out of the book. That day I was making a list of articles I wanted to write this year. This was a humble man who accomplished much during his eleven-year tenure.
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In 1968 the Foundations Center was added to the campus.
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In 1972 two new classrooms were built on the Bosworth Terrace of the Junior School.
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In 1972 Mr. Comfort and Mr. John Riley “launched an intensive year-long evaluation which involved faculty, students, parents, and the Board. This evaluation questioned every aspect of the school . . . and examined the program and policy in a search for the best direction for Graland to take.”
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The school offered to its employees the TIAA-CREF retirement fund program.
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The Business Office under Larry Sanders entered the modern age. In fact, in the spring of 1975, the school purchased a computer terminal which was shared with Jefferson County public schools.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
