Personal Bio:

Faculty Bio: Bruce Shaw joined the Moses Brown faculty in 1981 as a cornerstone of the mathematics department. Over a teaching career spanning several decades, Bruce dedicated himself to helping generations of students master logical thinking and discover an appreciation for math. Beyond his impactful work inside the classroom, he has been deeply involved in supporting and preserving the school’s Quaker heritage, serving as a vital connection between the Moses Brown community and the local Friends meetinghouse. Whether guiding students through complex equations or serving on school committees, Bruce’s multi-decade tenure is defined by his enduring commitment to the MB community.

Merrill Magnolia:

Scientific Name

Magnolia × loebneri 'Merrill'

Family

Magnoliaceae

Description

Loebner magnolia is a small, vigorous, deciduous hybrid tree with a dense, rounded shape that is sometimes grown in a multi-trunked shrub form.

Leaves are alternate, simple, 3–6 inches long, narrow obovate, dark green, edges even; tip acute, base rounded, without hairs, turning an insignificant yellow-brown in the fall before dropping.

Bark is smooth and gray on younger wood (implied by genus), though the site notes it forms a dense network of branches to provide winter cover.

Twigs are slender, brown to purple to green, smooth, featuring conspicuous gray vertical, elliptical-oval lenticels, with a characteristic sweet fragrance when bruised.

Flowers February–March, stalk short, appearing at an early age in winter and early spring before the leaves emerge; flowers fragrant, 3–5 inches in diameter, single and pure white (tinged with pink or lilac-pink in cultivars), with 7–20 spatulate tepals.

Fruits late summer, produced on the branches; fruit a cone-like aggregate of follicles, colored red to burgundy when mature.

Other Common Names

Merrill Magnolia

Size

Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.

Source: North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox