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2018 Theodore Ryken Award Recipient


Courtland Morse ’71, P ’01, ’03, is Xaverian’s 2018 Theodore Ryken Award Winner.

In the fall of 1967, Courtland Morse arrived at Xaverian Brothers High School as a freshman. To be clear - it wasn’t his doing. His mother grew up in Roxbury and was familiar with the Xaverian Brothers. He had two older sisters attending Ursuline Academy, and Court’s parents told him where he would be going to high school.

“Xaverian back then was very different than it is today,” says Court. “It was predominantly staffed by Brothers. I had a Brother as my freshman football coach, my freshman track coach, and the AD was a Brother. It was a totally new experience for me coming from a public school background. But many of us who attended Xaverian in those days needed a strong hand to guide us. That’s what the Brothers provided, a combination of education and guidance.”

What Court didn’t foresee as a student here on Clapboardtree Street was that he too would someday offer students at Xaverian that same combination of education and guidance, and that he would be recognized for his contributions to living the mission of Xaverian Brothers High School. Courtland Morse ’71, P ’01, ’03, is Xaverian’s 2018 Theodore Ryken Award Winner.

After graduating from Xaverian in 1971, Court attended Assumption College. He taught swimming lessons as a teenager, so in college he tried taking some educational classes. He enjoyed them, “fell into teaching,” and took his first job in the Boston Public Schools. He was working there in 1978 when George McCabe, Xaverian football coach (and Court’s former coach), called him up and asked if he would help with JV football. Court said, “Yes.” At the same time, an economics teacher left Xaverian. Brother William Drinan, C.F.X., Principal, sought out Court and asked if he could teach economics. Again, Court said, “Yes.” “I thought I would try it for a year,” he says. “Forty years later, I’m still here.”

“Teaching at Xaverian was just different. I was able to be more effective in the classroom, and there were so many great kids here,” Court said. “Everything fell into place. It was almost as if it was predetermined, and I have loved every day of it.”

The Ryken Award is given annually to a faculty or staff member who is nominated by their coworkers. This special award was established in 1993 to recognize the recipient’s commitment to Ryken’s vision and honor their dedication to the core values of Xaverian Brothers education.

Brother Daniel Skala, C.F.X., Headmaster, and Dr. Jacob Conca ’94, Principal, presented the award to Court at the Founder’s Day Liturgy on December 3. Brother Dan noted that Court is a “caring mentor to the new teaching staff and a hopeful companion to colleagues. He brings tremendous enthusiasm to the classroom and to the many sports he coaches, and has had a significant influence on many generations of Xaverian students…This award acknowledges the recipient for living the Xaverian mission in a powerful way, as he proclaims by his attitude and actions, how to accept one another as we are, and to cherish not what should be, but what is.”

When asked how he views himself as living the Xaverian mission, Court says, “I have always felt an obligation to carry on what the Brothers gave to me. That’s really it. I don’t know how to describe what it is, but you feel it. I think when people come into the building they feel different, they are greeted differently, people smile, the kids are polite. I like to think I’ve been part of that...I am passing on what was given to me.”




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Xaverian is a Catholic, college-preparatory school for boys in grades 7-12. As an inclusive community, we embrace diverse experiences and perspectives, welcoming students and families from all faiths and backgrounds. Through exceptional academics, athletics, the arts, faith formation, and service opportunities, we help young men discover their unique gifts and talents so they can share them with a world in need.