David Whipple was an exceptional young man with a keen mind and kind heart. A graduate of Brookline High School and Yale College, David tragically died in an automobile accident in 2019 at the age of 25. His parents Carol Gladstone and Ben Whipple wanted to find a way to honor their son’s memory in a profound and meaningful way.

Ben and Carol worked with David’s favorite teachers to create a program at Brookline High School that would exemplify the values and essence of their son. After meeting with BCF, they felt the foundation had the flexibility and insight to help them with a process to honor the memory of their son. In 2020, BCF announced the creation of the David Zadoc Whipple Fund, a donor-advised fund that supports “excellence in writing such as summer fellowships and year-round writing programs” at Brookline High School.

Shortly after, the Whipple Writing Fellowship launched at BHS. This fellowship provides BHS students an opportunity to develop and expand their skills as writers. Combining a paid summer writing residency, Fellows join a supportive cohort of young writers, receive stipends to encourage their work, and learn from professional writers from multiple genres.

Since its launch, the David Zadoc Whipple Fund has supported dozens of Whipple Writing Fellows who represent some of Brookline High School’s promising young writers. In 2023, the program welcomed 11 new fellows: Tal Berreby, Kiran Bhatia, Geo Elasmar, Mia Finnan, Haven Montgomery, Matthew Nock, Connor Quigley, Sophia Su, Sofia Vasquez, Allen Yu and Angela Zhou. The Fellows recently showcased their work at a public reading at BHS on October 12, 2023.

David’s legacy continues to create an enduring, positive impact in Brookline through the Whipple Writing Fellowship. And thanks to the deep partnership between Carol, Ben, BCF, BHS and the Fellows, David’s love of the written word is continuing to provide inspiration and opportunity for Brookline’s young writers.

Read this year’s Fellows’ works: