Many of us have enjoyed watching Lynn Novogratz's (FHHS 79) public speaking exploits online. She's a talented speaker/entrepreneur with a mission to alleviate poverty. She has recently published a book about those efforts, entitled "The Blue Sweater." You can read her bio, see the website for the non-profit that she has founded, Acumen, watch videos of her speaking events at the TED website (or just search for "Novogratz" on YouTube). She also has a listing in Wikipedia.
The first video that many of us saw, a couple a years ago starts out with a "6 Degrees of Fort Hunt" moment on the African continent. She describes a favorite sweater given to her by a favorite uncle, with a depiction of animals and scenery. She was wearing that sweater in Jock Hall one day, a 9th grader whose body had changed since her days at Stephen Foster. Matt Mussolino said "in a booming voice, that we no longer had to go far away to go on skiing trips, we could all ski on Mt. Novogratz." The humiliated young girl promptly donated that formerly favorite sweater to Goodwill.
Fast-forward to a 25 year-old Lynn, jogging through the Rwandan countryside, when she encounters an 11 year-old boy wearing her sweater. She turned his collar over to find her own name. It was the quintessential Fort Hunt moment, and a fabulous metaphor for her work, and, (I'm guessing) the title of her new book.
Check out the hyperlinks contained here. You'll be proud of Jacqueline Novogratz, one of our own Fort Hunt sisters, and amused and amazed anew at the fact that long arms of Fort Hunt find their way all around the globe.

P.S. She did not mention that Matt Mussolino was one of the boys who set fire to Fort Hunt High School in 1979.  You are a class act, Lynn.

Fort Hunt Federals of ALL CLASSES are invited to gather one more time this Holiday Season at The Village Wharf in the Hollin Hall Shopping Center
Saturday, January 3rd – 7:30 to close

Joe Gililland, '73, offers his take on what Mr. Barr might have to say about the subject:
“If I don’t see you at The Wharf, then I’ll see you in the Principal’s Office!!”   
  - Mr. Timothy Barr, Assistant Principal & Full-time Disciplinarian, FHHS ‘73

And speaking of disciplinarians, a while back, our classmate Tim Harris sent an interesting link to an online interview with the former principal, Mr. Rodney B. Taylor. In this very candid interview, Mr. Taylor spills some juicy tidbits about what a challenge the new school was, how he dealt with the peak student population of the day, with racial integration, with a sorority of cheerleaders and teachers and other pressing problems. A couple of fascinating items are the fact that Mr. Taylor was the principal for Groveton before going to Fort Hunt, and that his son was a senior at Groveton the year the two schools merged. 

You can listen to an audio file of the interview, or read the full text  at the link above, or click, "Read More."

Fort Hunt, as a neighborhood, has its own entry in Wikipedia. Along with a description of the neighborhood's demographics and geography, there are other links, including one called "Fort Hunt.Info." Fort Hunt.Info calls the area "One of the Best Communities in Northern Virginia."

Duh.

"Fort Hunt is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 12,923 at the 2000 census. It encompasses the 22308 ZIP code of Alexandria, composed of much of the most affluent section of southeast Fairfax County, close to the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Potomac River, including the neighborhoods of Tauxemont, Herbert Springs, Waynewood, Collingwood, Stratford Landing, Hollin Hall, Hollin Hills (in ZIP code 22306), Wellington, Arcturus and (in ZIP code 22307) Villamay and Marlan Forest. Prominent Fort Hunt residents include former White House press secretary Tony Snow, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, and Former House Speaker Bob Livingston."
"Geography
Fort Hunt is located at 38°43′58″N 77°3′29″W / 38.73278, -77.05806 (38.732814, -77.058066)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²), of which, 5.1 square miles (13.2 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (9.11%) is water. Located within Fort Hunt is Fort Hunt Park, currently operated by the National Park Service, with a history of military activity dating from 1676."
"Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 12,923 people, 4,974 households, and 3,909 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,538.9 people per square mile (980.3/km²). There were 5,050 housing units at an average density of 992.2/sq mi (383.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.83% White, 2.37% African American, 0.17% Native American, 2.56% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.65% of the population."
"There were 4,974 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.2% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.94."
"In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 2.8% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males."
"The median income for a household in the CDP was $102,259, and the median income for a family was $111,935. Males had a median income of $79,828 versus $53,654 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $46,957. About 1.0% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over."

Our classmate "Big Daddy" Bobby Suggs has amassed an impressive collection of FHHS memorabilia in the Collingwood Springs home that he shares with his wife, Amy (Wollschlager, FHHS '79) and their daughters. He would really like to add a Band letter, as well as a Cheerleading letter with a megaphone. If anyone has anything like that, please consider Bob. 

Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Our own Tom Wheeler will run 40 miles in two days to raise money for cancer research. Andrew, the adorable boy depicted here, is Tom's inspiration.

To find out more, click "Read More."

In the off-chance that there's someone out there who hasn't realized that Fort Hunters are absolutely everywhere, here's yet another installment of "The Cult that is Fort Hunt."

My long-suffering husband didn't really think too much of it when we were West Point classmates, and there were more Fort Hunters there than from any other, single high school.  In the ensuing 25+ years of marriage, however, he complains that Fort Hunt must have had a student body at least as big as the United States Army, because we run into Fort Hunt graduates everywhere we go. We have moved 21 times, and haven't been anywhere without the privilege of running into still-proud Federals. It happens over and over. Kenny says that when he gets on an airplane, he just turns to the person in the seat beside him and asks, "So, what year did you graduate from Fort Hunt High School?"

(Click "Read More.")

The Mount Vernon Gazette ran an article not too long ago, showcasing the musical career of a FHHS grad.  You can view it on the Gazette's website, or click "Read More."

They just don't write news like they used to.
Case in point, the April 1974 FHHS PTA Newsletter, available for download (FREE!)

Click Media > Downloads > General.

In this very substantial newletter, typed on an old school Selectric, mimeographed in hand-cranked goodness then mailed through the United States Postal Service---you can read all about that vexing malady, "Senior Slump." Reminsce about the school's 10th year anniversary celebration. See the schedule for behind-the-wheel back when the county provided that for the students in school. Marvel at the academic briliance of the students. Exult in the successful student competitions. But most of all, try to wrap your head around the mystery of the missing science equipment. A painstakingly hand-rendered drawing can be viewed by clicking "Read More."

It's time for the annual, informal Fort Hunt Federal Holiday Happy Hours!

Hollin Hall Village Wharf from 7:30 p.m. till closing:
 Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday, 29 November
 Christmas weekend, Saturday, 27 December
 New Years Weekend, Saturday, 3 January

And for you Karaoke hounds, more at Springfield's Peyton Place:
 Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, 28 November
 Christmas weekend, Friday 26 December