Margery Inkeles traveled countless miles to ferry her children to and from their family home in Sparta, New Jersey, to the hilltop. She made the commute for 13 years while Charles ’88, Barbara ’90, John ’93 and Laura ’97 attended the Academy, but it didn’t end there. Margery and her husband, David, became fixtures at every event, athletic competition, performance and award ceremony. When all of their Buccaneers had graduated, the couple maintained their strong connections with the Blair community, and their legacy of commitment carried on well past their family’s last commencement.

“My father had always heard of this great school nearby with an emphasis on academics when we were growing up,” John explained. “Our parents’ number-one priority was the opportunity for a great education. Blair provided that, and it was always first and foremost in their minds.”

When the Inkeles siblings lost their parents, Margery in 2017 and David in 2021, they looked to honor their tradition of strong connections to Blair. While they knew their parents appreciated the state-of-the-art facilities and beautiful, historic campus, it was always academic excellence that resonated most with them. When the possibility of an endowed scholarship was presented, the immediate decision was unanimous.

“We loved the idea that our parents’ legacy will assist in the academic experience for future students at Blair,” John shared. “We were humbled to have the ability to create something meaningful. Naming it the Inkeles Family Scholarship represents all of us. Each one of us had a unique experience and connection to the School, and now, that will live on for generations.”

During his days on the hilltop, Charles distinguished himself on the tennis team. He went on to a successful career in finance and today heads U.S. Fund Finance at Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, the largest bank in the world. Living in New York City, Charles regularly returns to campus for events and continues to volunteer his time to his alma mater, serving as a member of Blair’s Board of Governors and a class representative.

Barbara excelled academically during her Blair experience, earning membership in the Cum Laude Society and accolades that included the Blair Academy Trophy, the Phillips-James- Rosen Trophy and the Paul R. White History Prize. She captivated the audience with the Blair Academy Players for a memorable role in The Crucible that was met with a standing ovation. Barbara furthered her academic prowess through college at Brown University for her undergraduate degree and Widener University for graduate school. Barbara proudly returned to Blair for a few years in the 1990s as an English teacher. She now serves as assistant director of counseling at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

John’s first introduction to Blair was as a young child, accompanying his mother to campus when Charles enrolled. Captivated by the hilltop, he eagerly followed in the footsteps of his older siblings. He joined the wrestling team and admits that he might have been the least skilled member of the team at the time, but he remembers coaches and the Blair community still rallying behind him.

“The coaches genuinely cared about mentoring us as individuals,” John recalled. “It spoke to us about Blair. If you excelled at something, they helped you, but they also wanted to develop you as a person. There was always motivation to go out and try new things and not accept limits.”

John carries that mentality with him today as senior litigation counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice-Civil Division. He was recently awarded the John Marshall Award for Interagency Cooperation in Preparation of Litigation for his years spent pursuing a Bosnian-Serb war criminal who helped perpetrate the Srebrenica Massacre in Bosnia in July 1995, in which over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were slaughtered. The John Marshall Awards are the highest accolades that the U.S. Department of Justice awards to attorneys.

The youngest of the Inkeles clan, Laura was a standout on the tennis and squash teams at Blair. She led the squash team as captain and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022 alongside her fellow members of the 1996- 1997 girls’ tennis team. A member of the Cum Laude Society and Blue and White Key at Blair, Laura has spent the last 20 years with mission-driven nonprofits, including her current position in global finance at Evidence Action, dedicated to reducing the impact of poverty for millions in nine countries in Africa and Asia by offering health-related interventions such as chlorinated water and preventative medicines. One of Laura’s most exciting ventures was as a cofounder of Girls Rock! DC, a nonprofit summer camp that fosters female empowerment through teaching girls to play in rock bands. The summer experience culminated with the girls taking the stage for a music set at one of Washington, D.C.’s, most famous concert venues.

Through all of these Blair experiences and many of their subsequent ones, David and Margery were there— supporting their children and encouraging them to discover the best versions of themselves. John remembers Margery tirelessly touring with Laura’s squash team, ensuring she never missed a match, while David chaperoned trips to Prague and Russia in the ’90s. They made date nights of Barbara’s plays and were a constant presence on the hilltop. Everything they poured into the community, they received in return.

“They quickly realized how much more than a school Blair was,” Barbara remarked. “Teachers became friends—coming over to the house for dinner—and it was always a warm and welcoming community.”

As the children grew up and pursued their individual passions, David and Margery stayed true to Blair. Peddie Day festivities and Alumni Weekends became family reunions and the Inkeles clan bonded over their shared experience—Blair.

“This scholarship is the manifestation of the depth of our family connection to the Academy,” John explained. “Blair impacted all of us for the better in our own special way, and this allows that tradition to continue for more students and families.”