At Community Meeting on January 5, Head of School Andy Chappell recognized and celebrated Diane Wall, a 45 year employee of The Derryfield School.
Below, are Chappell’s remarks:
For the past 45 years, Mrs. Wall has been one of the school’s constants, its quiet guardian, and its welcoming heart.
But the union between Mrs. Wall and Derryfield almost didn’t happen…
Her journey to Derryfield is, in many ways, a perfect reflection of all that makes Mrs. Wall who she is and defined the role she has played here over the past 45 years. See, prior to Derryfield, Mrs. Wall worked for the City of Manchester supporting the City Clerk’s Office and Vital Records before she and her husband moved to Texas. Eventually they returned to New Hampshire, and Mrs. Wall found herself looking for work once again. When the City Clerk’s office had no openings, a sibling mentioned a listing for a Registrar position at The Derryfield School.
In July of 1980, without an appointment, Mrs. Wall simply showed up to learn more. When asked whether she had Registrar experience, she famously replied, “No, but how hard can it be to type student names and grades on report cards?” After being shown a windowless basement office, tucked away from students and the daily bustle, Mrs. Wall knew instantly that the Registrar position wasn’t the right fit for her. On her way out, however, she pointed to the woman at the front desk and asked to be called if that position ever opened.
Five months later, the call came. And at first, Mrs. Wall declined, content in her new role at the New Hampshire Insurance Company. But after sharing the story with coworkers, who promptly told her she was exactly the right person for the job at Derryfield, Mrs. Wall called back within minutes, apologized, and asked if she could spend a day at the front desk. That visit turned into an invitation to greet students and faculty returning from Winter Break in January of 1981. Mrs. Wall loved it, asked for the job, was hired on the spot, and has been doing what she loves ever since.
When Mrs. Wall started, the School looked very different—just two buildings, a far smaller staff, and a single receptionist supporting nearly every office: Head of School, Academics, Admissions, Athletics, College Planning, and Development. She typed student bills, report cards, newsletters, and virtually every piece of correspondence mailed home. Her exceptional skills, and her proud distinction as the fastest typist everywhere she worked, powered her through it all.
She mastered tools that are now the stuff of legend, including the Gestetner duplicator, painstakingly typing newsletters onto wax-coated stencils, wrapping them around drums, inking them by hand, and turning out reams of paper—often with black-inked hands and the unmistakable scent of solvent in the air. Long before intercoms, voicemail, or email, Mrs. Wall was the School’s living switchboard. If you missed a call, she took a handwritten message and tracked you down—because she always knew where people were and what needed attention.
When the School received its first computer in 1984—a donated DECMate word processor—Mrs. Wall embraced the challenge. Though intimidating, it marked the beginning of her journey into computer literacy and helped usher the School into a new era of work. Her willingness to learn, adapt, and grow alongside the institution has been a hallmark of her 45 year career. And a deep sense of responsibility and awareness still defines her work today.
Across five decades, her institutional knowledge has been invaluable. Retired Derryfield legend, Chuck Sanborn, shared with me that during his year as Interim Head of School, Mrs. Wall’s understanding of the School’s administrative rhythms—what needed to be done, when, and how—was a saving grace. She knew the files inside and out and ensured leadership stayed on track.
Throughout her entire career, college admissions officers checking in for visits consistently comment on the warmth and professionalism of her welcome. And Faculty and staff members credit her with rescuing them from countless technological challenges, often accompanied by her familiar refrain: “Get out of here—let me do that for you.”
But what truly defines Mrs. Wall is her heart. She is relentlessly committed to student safety, meticulously tracking attendance, arrivals, and departures. She is always ready to help—with forms, printing, calendars, supplies, and the hundred small details that keep a school running smoothly. She is deeply interested in students, faculty, staff, and every aspect of school life, and she offers a warm, sympathetic ear to anyone who needs one.
One story captures this best. When a retired colleague’s wife was gravely ill with cancer and they were forced to prepare their home for sale, Mrs. Wall didn’t hesitate. She simply said, “Let me help you with that. I’ll come up over the weekend and we’ll get everything done.” True to her word, she arrived with pails and mops and went straight to work — a profound act of kindness that revealed the depth of her compassion.
That same generosity defines her life beyond campus. She is immensely dedicated to her family—caring for children, siblings, grandchildren, and more—with the same devotion she brings to the Derryfield community.
But her family will tell you, Mrs. Wall is not only caring and compassionate, but also plenty competitive. Every Thursday night is family game night at the Wall house, and as my advisory, who recently experienced playing one of the Wall family favorite games, Skull King, will tell you, Mrs. Wall doesn’t like to lose and she takes no prisoners.
But you all know she can be both competitive and caring–you feel it when you walk into her office, you see it when she walks around school, and you read it when you get one of her famous emails, signed “Love, Di.” It’s why there was a campaign during the pandemic to “Protect Mrs. Wall” and it’s why when she received her 25-Year Service Award in 2006, Mrs. Wall was given an honorary title: “The Great Wall of Derryfield.” Along with the Derryfield Chair she received that day, the words spoken in recognition of her service—“We’ll never have another one like her”—words that of course remain just as true today, 20 years later.
45 years is an extraordinary milestone. But even more extraordinary is how Mrs. Wall has given of herself over those years—with diligence, humor, adaptability, and a caretaker’s heart. She still looks forward to every day at Derryfield because, to her, Derryfield is home, Derryfield is family.
Congratulations, Di, on 45 remarkable years. Derryfield is stronger, safer, kinder, and better because of you and your dedication to the mission, core values, and people of DS. Congratulations!
