Ward Purrington '53 retired several years ago from his Raleigh law practice and from many of his civic and cultural responsibilities. His idea of retirement, though, is to start up a non-profit venture he'd thought about for more than 25 years.

"My wife finally told me to just do it instead of talking about it because I might be running out of time!" said Purrington.

Purrington is a Raleigh native and attended Ravenscroft on Tucker Street from Kindergarten through seventh grade. He fondly remembers those years, saying he most enjoyed morning chapel and learning all his prayers and hymns. His father, Alfred L. Purrington, Jr., was a founding board member and his brother, Alfred L. Purrington III, later served on the board around the time the School moved to its present location. Purrington's daughter, Lindsay, continued the tradition by attending Ravenscroft, as did two of his nephews and a niece. His wife, Charlotte, taught French for several years at Ravenscroft.

After Ravenscroft, Purrington went on to Broughton for a year before graduating from Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Va. He holds AB and JD degrees from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and also attended Duke University Divinity School. For many years, Purrington was active in North Carolina State Government, including service as a member of its General Assembly, Utilities Commission, Board of Transportation, and The University of North Carolina System Board of Governors. He also served as Legislative Counsel to the Governor and as Secretary of the state Department of Revenue.

He has always had an interest in the Fine Arts, and was instrumental in founding Carolina Ballet as a professional company.

It was his keen interest in politics, law, art, and scholarly research that brought Purrington to his new pursuit. He is the founder of The Appalachian Institution, Inc., which "encourages study, understanding and appreciation for the history, accomplishments, and values of western civilization," as stated on the institution's Web site.

The Appalachian Institution is in its inaugural year, offering summer retreats on Lake Logan. "We are offering five-day retreats on a beautiful, secluded mountain lake at a 3,000-foot elevation in the North Carolina mountains near Asheville. We'll have sports like golf, fly fishing, tennis and white-water rafting, classes in painting, jewelry design and floral design, art history, Spanish, and investment," he said. "Our principal guest lecturers are renowned scholars and experts in Western civilization and they'll explore history and the lessons we learned and can apply to today," said Purrington. Evening entertainment will include classical music, a little bluegrass, and even a Shakespearean drama.

Purrington is pleased with the fact that the response to the summer programs has been better than his projections. He figures there are a lot of grown-ups out there like him that want to go to summer camp just like the kids. "We still have space available in both sessions," he said, hoping to see more of his Ravenscroft alumni participate. Future plans for the Institution include sponsoring debates around the Southeast on topics of contemporary interest, hosting trips to Greece and Rome, and encouraging scholars to stay and study at the Institution. To learn more about the Appalachian Institution or just to chat with Purrington about the old days or his new venture, visit www.appalachianinstitution.org.