Shelley Sallee, Ph.D, and Wallis Goodman honor their vows by envisioning the preservation of a sacred space on campus.

Wedding anniversaries are usually celebrated with couples exchanging keepsake gifts that mark a milestone or banner year, unless you are Shelley Sallee, Ph.D., History Department chair, and Wallis Goodman, dean of faculty and Upper School art history instructor, who have given a gift to benefit others. The couple said “I do” in the St. Stephen’s Chapel on December 29, 1996. In celebration of 28-years of marriage, the couple made a $2,800 gift towards Lasting Impact: The Campaign for St. Stephen’s in support of the Chapel expansion and renovation and the Annual Fund. 

“Without question, the Chapel has been the most important building in our adult lives,” they reflected. “We are grateful for it, and we look forward to generations of Spartans sharing it with us.”

Shelley and Wallis’s story has largely unfolded on The Hill, especially within the Chapel walls. The Chapel has been the setting of joyous family celebrations and milestone moments for their family, including their two Spartan children, Kate ’20 and Hank ’17. It also has been a place of comfort for them during times of heartbreak, providing a community gathering and grieving space to honor lost loved ones. Beyond these personal memories, the couple has been continually moved and enriched by the offerings of students and colleagues who bring life, reflection and meaning to weekly Chapel services.

The couple hopes their anniversary tribute will help preserve the beloved space through the Chapel expansion and renovation, one of three capital projects of the Lasting Impact campaign. The project will increase seating capacity to allow the entire Upper School to gather together and will add air conditioning and heating, enhancements that will ensure that future generations of Spartans may continue to experience life-shaping moments in the Chapel.

To learn more about the Chapel expansion and renovation and the Lasting Impact campaign, visit sstx.org/lasting-impact.