Remembering Jackie Pitts ’55 Teacher, Coach, Mentor, Trailblazer

When a six-year-old Jacquelin “Jackie” Pitts ’55 first arrived at Sunny Hills School in the summer of 1943 for an overnight camp, she vividly recalled her first “victory” on Sanford’s campus, swimming across the old swimming pool in Chapel Valley. Little did she know her small act of athleticism would be the first of countless victories she would herself achieve or forge for others in Sanford classrooms and sports fields over the course of more than five decades, launching a life trajectory that would take her from the intimate math classrooms of a small boarding school to halls of honor from the White House to Buckingham Palace.

At the age of 87, Jackie passed away peacefully in her Delaware home in August 2024. The depth of her impact was evident in the outpouring of memories shared by colleagues, friends, and alumni in the days following her passing. Her legacy was honored during a celebration of life held at the Geipel Center for Performing Arts on October 20, 2024.

Returning to Sanford for high school in 1953, Jackie immersed herself in her studies and athletics, beginning her lifelong love for the game of lacrosse. Mathematics was her favorite subject. Her teachers recalled in her yearbook: “Jackie has a very good trait, which is that she never stops looking for things that need to be done. In other words, she goes the extra mile. She is also thoughtful and conscientious,” a sentiment that would be echoed by the countless students she taught and coached.

After graduating from Sanford, Jackie went on to study business and economics at St. Lawrence University in New York, intending to work in economics or engineering upon graduation. Just before the 1959 school year began, Nancy Sawin offered her a position, which Jackie initially declined. Nancy responded, “Don’t say no. Think about it and come back tomorrow.” The next day, Jackie reconsidered and said, “Well, maybe, but only for a year or two...”

What followed were five momentous decades in which Jackie touched every aspect of campus life at Sanford. A dedicated mathematics teacher, Jackie had an unparalleled ability to engage and inspire her students. She transformed her classroom into a dynamic learning environment, challenging students to overcome their fears of math by getting them out from behind their desks to work on problems at the board under her encouraging guidance. Her devotion to her students, whom she affectionately called “tigers,” was evident in the relationships she nurtured across generations.

Jeff Davis ’80AA, a student in the 1976–77 school year, said that even after all the mathematics courses he took in undergraduate and graduate school, Jackie was “the best math teacher I ever had.” “She always used to say that ‘you don’t really understand it unless you can explain it to someone else,’” he recalled.

Michael Brennan ’12 said that when he had Jackie for algebra, he would often rush through his problems and make mistakes. Jackie’s response was to make him take tests in pen to slow him down and force him to be more intentional in his work. Brennan eventually became a teacher and coach, both things he said he would not have done if not for Jackie’s inspiration.

Jackie took great pride in mentoring students not just academically, but also in character, emphasizing respect, hard work, and integrity; values that extended to the smallest gestures. Jill Massaferi Lincoln, parent of Sarah Massaferi ’10, recalled her daughter telling her before meeting Jackie at an open house: “Mom, don’t say the word ‘um’ and make sure you push in your chair when you get up!”

Chris Mosberg, a longtime colleague in the math department, said her sons Jake ’99 and Jason ’01 learned plenty about polynomials and solving equations from Jackie in Algebra II, but that she and her husband “were just as thankful for what they learned about manners and respect for others.” “I became a better teacher as I learned a few Jackie methodologies,” Mosberg added. “And my love of Sanford grew as I learned more about Sanford’s history and spirit from her.”

Ms. Pitts’ excellence in teaching earned her the U.S. Presidential Scholars Teachers’ Award, culminating in an invitation to a White House dinner hosted by President George H. W. Bush and the U.S. Department of Education.

Yet it was her steadfast devotion to the game of lacrosse that took her around the globe and into the upper echelons of society, allowing her to meet four other U.S. presidents and brush shoulders with royalty. Jackie was a pioneering figure in women’s lacrosse. As a player, she represented the U.S. Women’s Team for a decade, traveling to play lacrosse in Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia. She later transitioned to coaching, leading the U.S. national team to victory in the first Women’s Lacrosse World Cup in 1982. Her passion for growing the sport led her to key administrative roles, including serving as president of the U.S. and International Women’s Lacrosse Associations.

Jackie was instrumental in expanding women’s lacrosse globally, helping to establish programs in Japan, Cuba, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia. Her extraordinary contributions earned her induction into multiple halls of fame, including the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, and the St. Lawrence University Athletic Hall of Fame. Today, USA Lacrosse continues to honor her legacy with the annual Jackie Pitts Award, recognizing high school players who exemplify her commitment to leadership and service.

Through her activism for women’s lacrosse, she visited the White House on multiple occasions, dining with Gerald Ford and meeting with Jackie and John F. Kennedy. She also met Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon on other occasions. Overseas, she was a guest at Buckingham Palace, received at the residence of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, watched a lacrosse match alongside Princess Anne, and dined with the Mayor of Tokyo.

Hall of Fame lacrosse coach Feffie Barnhill said Jackie was “the first world ambassador for women’s lacrosse” and “should be recognized as the most influential developer of women’s lacrosse.” But among those who played for her, Jackie was remembered fondly not just for her achievements but for her warmth and mentorship.

Meghan Hannum Kivler ’00 said that Jackie’s “light-hearted approach kept us grounded and reminded us to enjoy the game,” recalling how she had suggested doing cartwheels to stretch and warm up before playing. She also credited Jackie for guiding her toward her dream of playing lacrosse in college after she was waitlisted at her dream school: “Jackie sat me down, refocused me, and reminded me of my potential both on and off the field,” she said.

Valerie Thompson ’00 said that when Jackie began coaching the lacrosse team in her junior year, “she transformed our program to be one of the top teams in the state,” eventually taking the team to compete nationally in Vail, Colorado. Although Thompson initially lacked confidence on the sports field, Jackie’s “positivity, energy, and passion for the sport (and for our success) was contagious,” she said. “I learned from Ms. Pitts that it’s never too late to try something new or step outside your comfort zone. These values continue to shape my life decisions and have made an incredible impact on who I’ve become.”

Though her visits to campus, often dressed head-to-toe in Sanford apparel, will be missed, Jackie’s impact will continue to be felt across Sanford’s campus. Sanford athletes train and compete on Jackie Pitts Field in Chapel Valley, where a young Jackie made her first memories of Sanford. During Homecoming 2025, Sanford will dedicate the second floor of the Nancy C. Sawin Math/Science Building, home to all math classrooms, which will bear her name: the Jackie Pitts ’55 Mathematics Floor, in honor of her decades of dedication to teaching. Sanford is also proud to introduce the Jackie Pitts ’55 Sanford Champion Award, an endowed award fund that will annually recognize a faculty or staff member who embodies Jackie’s spirit: a dedicated team player, a force for good, and a true Sanford Warrior.

As a member of the Evergreen Society, Jackie included Sanford in her will. Her planned gift benefits both the capital and endowment goals of the Exceptionally Sanford campaign. Jackie bequeathed $500,000 to Sanford’s endowment to “strengthen the school’s foundation and commitment to excellence in education.” Sanford received the gift in May 2025. A second directive of her will provides the school with funding to be used for “campus buildings and grounds maintenance, upgrades, or improvements.”

With her passing, Sanford has lost a pillar of its community and a warm, familiar smile that reminded alumni returning to campus that they were coming back home. Yet her legacy remains woven into the fabric of the school and in the hearts of the countless Sanford teachers, athletes, and students she touched.

Jackie once wrote in a letter, “I am a very happy person who has not been angry since fifth grade.” Her joy, resilience, and relentless drive to uplift others will forever be a guiding light for the Sanford community.