The Fine Arts Building was recently transformed into a temporary museum to celebrate Greenhill’s history. It showcases a collection of artifacts donated by faculty and staff who have served the school for 25 years or more, a group known as the “Legends.”   

The “Legends” status originated to honor all faculty that had worked at Greenhill for many years.  Associate Head of School for Mission, Community, and Culture Tom Perryman and former Head of School Peter Briggs determined that the term must be impartial.  

“There can’t be a question as to who’s in and who’s out of the Legends,” Perryman said. “It’s got to be objective, so we decided on 25 years.”  

When Perryman visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame to attend former Major League Baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan’s induction in 1999, he was inspired by all the displayed artifacts. Pitcher Babe Ruth’s home run bat and first baseman Jackie Robinson’s World Series cap symbolized the player’s journey in the sport.  

Like the baseball museum, Perryman wanted to honor all of the Legends by displaying mementos and artifacts from their experience at Greenhill.  

“[I] let them pick whatever it is they want to give that they feel like would represent them,” Perryman said.  

He began asking Legends to give him something memorable when they retired, but the collection was small with only about five items collected in a span of 15 years.  

As Greenhill’s 75th anniversary approached, Perryman wanted launch the project, so he spoke at the annual Legends Dinner on Sept. 10, the night before Founders Day. He shared that he wanted to have an exhibit that included an item from every Legend if possible.  

“The 75th anniversary got people fired up so we started collecting [the items],” Perryman said. “It took about 10 months to collect everything, and I had a small committee of Legends that pulled it together.”  

Middle School Spanish teacher and Greenhill Varsity Boys Volleyball coach, Keith Nannie, was among the group that gave objects for the exhibit.  

He originally expected to stay at Greenhill for two to five years but ended up loving it because of the kids and the other people he worked with. 

“I love the fact that Greenhill is such a great little community,” Nannie said. “People are so willing to help you out and I think it is such a collaborative environment which has really impacted me quite a bit.” 

His item for the exhibit ended up being a poster that the Class of 2024 senior volleyball players had gifted him after the season was complete. The poster has an image of him doing a specific pose that is known in the classroom and on the court.  

“That photo was a perfect example of me in class and on the bench,” Nannie said. “Anybody that would come by would say ‘of course, that’s you’ so that is why I picked it for my artifact.” 

The exhibit was put up on Aug. 8, prior to the beginning of school and ran through early November. The installation included 50 artifacts from current and former employees out of the 93 who have served the school.  

Each artifact was accompanied by a 50- to 150-word card sharing some memories or background information about the item or the Legend’s own experience at Greenhill.  

When the Legends finally were able to see the project in person during Legends Dinner before Founders Day, the reaction was positive.   

“The Legends were psyched,” Perryman said. “We did a reception in the Fine Arts Building, and it was really cool.”  

Perryman hoped that this exhibit would be a touch point that would span through all generations of Greenhill.   

“I wanted all folks like me and younger folks to come back and find a connecting point,” Perryman said.  

As a Legend, Nannie hoped faculty and students looked through the exhibit and got to know the personalities of each person. 

In the future, there are plans to create a similar exhibit for the 100th anniversary. According to Perryman, it’s important for students on campus to realize this place is special because a lot of people have worked really hard to make it special.   

“The Legends on that wall are way up there on that list,” said Perryman. “I hope we continue to look for ways to celebrate them.”