Readers of this magazine over the years may recall seeing gorgeous black-and-white photos of Fay from the late 20th century—images of students in classrooms, on the fields, and in the dorms. Nearly all of these images were captured by Seaver R. “Dick” Gilcreast, a photographer whose ties to Fay ran deep.

Dick Gilcreast passed away on March 31, 2026, just two months after his 93rd birthday. The son of legendary English teacher Seaver Gilcreast and brother-in-law of beloved faculty member Dick Upjohn, Dick Gilcreast’s connection to Fay began in 1953 when his father began teaching at Fay. Newly graduated from Williams College, Dick actively pursued photography until he was drafted in 1955; after a stint in the Navy that included two years of photographing the Blue Angels down in Pensacola, Dick found himself back up in New England. He joined Fay’s faculty in 1959 and for the next twelve years taught a range of courses that included English, history, and science. In 1972, Dick left Fay to pursue a successful freelance photography career, and his photos appeared in publications including U.S. News and World Report and Yankee Magazine.

Over the next four decades, Dick returned to Fay frequently to document campus life. His photo shoots for Fay continued through 2009—a staggering 56 years of storytelling through images.

Our archives here at Fay are full of Dick’s photographs, and the History of Fay School, published in 2024, features many of his images. Dick’s photos captured Fay at a time that in some ways feels long gone—but the energy, thoughtfulness, and humor that infuse his photos of students across the decades speaks to a spirit and joy that is common to all Fay students regardless of the era.

In 2018, Dick stopped by Fay for a visit and dropped off a treasure trove of archival images. As he reflected on his work, he noted, “It was always fun to shoot at Fay. When I was around, the students just went ahead and did what they were doing without paying attention. That made it easy to capture the moments that were real.”