Sally Anne Santos
Mrs. Kate Gubelmann
This spring, Eaglebrook is hosting an extraordinary visitor whose life weaves a tapestry of artistic expression, strong family ties, and enduring connection to our school community. The 2025 Commencement speaker is an outstanding Ethel Walker alumna and a grandmother of Stokes Bostwick ’25, Kate Gubelmann. A graduate of Parsons School of Design in 1971, she went to work for David Easton, an established interior decorator and one of her instructors. Although she would later drift away from that specific career path, her start in the arts was far from finished. She co-owned The Gallery of Applied Art in New York City, featuring cutting-edge design. Unfortunately, an economic slump in the 1980s forced the closing of the gallery – a time she speaks of, not as one of loss, but as a crossroads. “I went back to school and earned a degree in Art History,” she said.
This ushered her to Christie’s, the world-renowned auction house, where she spent her career prior to her retirement. However, aside from her achievements in her professional life, she takes pride in performing another job with her heart; “My actual job, though, has been wife, mother, and grandmother.” Her history with Eaglebrook is rich and sentimental.
“I’ve been connected with Eaglebrook in some form for 60 years!” she declared with a grin.
Her ties to Eaglebrook include her son Bingo ’95, her grandson Stokes ’25, her brother John Crighton ’73, and her nephew Wyeth Gubelmann ’87. She has walked the campus at least ten times and can’t wait to do so again soon. When asked why she was asked to speak, she grinned and said with a wink, “That will be revealed in my speech.” Her journey is an example of resilience, imagination, and family. We can only wait to learn more when she appears at Eaglebrook – a performance guaranteed to be inspiring and unforgettable.