Tom Schlater's Tribute to His Daughters

Tom Schlater was one of Harpeth Hall's first members of the Founders Society. A native of Nashville, Tom graduated from the McCallie School, Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt Law School and became a skilled litigator and a respected city judge. Raised by and with strong and well-educated women — his mother Mary Louise Hughes Schlater Rose '24 and his two sisters Mary Schlater Stumb '53 and Louise Rose Herbert '63 — Tom made sure his three daughters Sarah Schlater Yavorski '75, Amy Schlater Berg '77, and Libs Schlater '81 received a Harpeth Hall education. He was a father who frequently stood in the bleachers cheering for his girls and always was ready with a big smile and a hug. After his death in 2011, Tom's bequest to Harpeth Hall established The Trinity Scholarship Fund in honor of his daughters, mother, and sisters, which ensures a Harpeth Hall education for girls demonstrating financial need.

In speaking about her father's bequest, Sarah shared, "My Dad believed in the capabilities and achievements of women despite growing up in a generation that did not generally support women in this way. He told each of us repeatedly that we could achieve whatever we aspired to and we believed him. His support and encouragement sustained me through Harpeth Hall, college, medical school, and beyond. I entered medical school at a time when it was still a male-dominated profession and not always easy to earn respect. For me, Harpeth Hall was a safe place to be a 'smart girl' and a place that nurtured a girl's individuality, opinions, and achievement."

Libs expressed her appreciation for learning to write and communicate in English and in French, which she hopes for future Harpeth Hall students. "I spent a month living with a family in France as part of the Harpeth Hall French curriculum, and that set me in life-long love of experiencing other cultures and languages. Being able to express myself in English in a clear, cohesive, concise, grammatically correct manner both verbally, and particularly in writing, gave me a distinct advantage in my personal and professional life. I am a retired nurse practitioner, and I worked as a clinician caring for congenital heart patients of all ages. My job involved communicating with patients, their families, and my colleagues all day long regarding often life-threatening illness and other sensitive topics. I attribute much of my success to my parents who were always encouraging and to the educational foundation that Harpeth Hall provided."

Amy added, "For me personally, the crux of my Harpeth Hall education was the opportunity to practice…to practice writing and re-writing, to practice studying (nightly!), and to practice expressing ideas. It's the strong work ethic developed during those high school years that has helped me the most in my current vocation as an occupational therapist. With my Dad's emphasis on education, it is no surprise that I've dedicated my life to helping kids learn and function well in a classroom setting. Dad would be thrilled to see The Trinity Scholarship at work…introducing girls to the same opportunities that he gave to the three of us. The Trinity Scholarship is quite special to us."