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News & Photos
Remembering Irv Naylor ‘54: A Champion of McDonogh School
Irvin Stanley Naylor, a member of the Class of 1954 and one of McDonogh School’s greatest champions, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 20, at his home in Reisterstown at the age of 91.
Naylor was six years old when he arrived at McDonogh as a scholarship student in 1942. During his 12 years, he distinguished himself as both a leader and an outstanding athlete. In Upper School, he was a member of the varsity wrestling and riding teams for all four years and served as captain of the Troop (cavalry) in his senior year.
His love for McDonogh, wrestling, and riding followed him throughout his life. As an alumnus, Naylor served 12 years on the School’s Board of Trustees and was later named a trustee emeritus. He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, and two years later received the Distinguished Service Award. He was also a gracious and generous benefactor, epitomizing McDonogh’s guiding principle: “You give something more than you take.”
In 1999, while pursuing his passion for timber racing, he fell from his horse during the Grand National Timber Stakes in Butler, Maryland, and was paralyzed from the neck down. Eventually, he regained the use of his arms.
Five years after his injury, on the occasion of their 50th reunion, Naylor’s McDonogh classmates established the Irvin S. Naylor Courage Award: "to be presented to a member or members of the McDonogh community who have shown outstanding courage and exemplary persistence in overcoming adversity or personal challenges, and in doing so, have inspired admiration, respect, and the courage to grow more fully toward our better selves."
During his life, Naylor’s philanthropic commitment to McDonogh never wavered. He supported academics with gifts to the Naylor Scholarship Fund, the Naylor Reference Room in the Upper School’s Kiplinger Library, and in 2010 with the lead gift for the construction of the Naylor STEM Building. At its opening, he told the crowd that the lessons he learned during his 12 years as a scholarship student had greatly shaped his life.
He supported McDonogh athletics with a gift to the equestrian program for the construction of the Eagles Nest indoor riding ring, and the Naylor Wrestling Room honors his lifelong love of the sport. He also established The Irvin S. Naylor Family Endowed Headmaster's Fund in honor of former Headmaster Bo Dixon.
In 2008, he reflected: “My philanthropy is primarily focused in two areas: stem cell research and McDonogh School. McDonogh has meant a lot to me and my family. Much of my financial and social success harks back to McDonogh. I learned how to study and how to prioritize. I learned manners. I learned values. McDonogh has always stood for things I thought important: the idea that ‘one should do good while they’re doing good.’”
Head of School Dave Farace ‘87 said, “Irv embodied everything McDonogh stands for — generosity, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the power of this place to shape a life. His presence will always be felt on our campus. Buildings bear his name, awards carry his spirit, and the students whose paths he quietly shaped will carry his legacy forward.”
Irv Naylor is survived by his wife, Diane, children Scott Naylor ’75, Peter Naylor, and Vivian Little, and grandchildren Scott C. Naylor, II (Chet) ’02, Sarah Naylor McPhee ’07, and Leah Naylor-Ickes. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
Irvin Stanley Naylor, a member of the Class of 1954 and one of McDonogh School’s greatest champions, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 20, at his home in Reisterstown at the age of 91.
Naylor was six years old when he arrived at McDonogh as a scholarship student in 1942. During his 12 years, he distinguished himself as both a leader and an outstanding athlete. In Upper School, he was a member of the varsity wrestling and riding teams for all four years and served as captain of the Troop (cavalry) in his senior year.
His love for McDonogh, wrestling, and riding followed him throughout his life. As an alumnus, Naylor served 12 years on the School’s Board of Trustees and was later named a trustee emeritus. He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, and two years later received the Distinguished Service Award. He was also a gracious and generous benefactor, epitomizing McDonogh’s guiding principle: “You give something more than you take.”
In 1999, while pursuing his passion for timber racing, he fell from his horse during the Grand National Timber Stakes in Butler, Maryland, and was paralyzed from the neck down. Eventually, he regained the use of his arms.
Five years after his injury, on the occasion of their 50th reunion, Naylor’s McDonogh classmates established the Irvin S. Naylor Courage Award: "to be presented to a member or members of the McDonogh community who have shown outstanding courage and exemplary persistence in overcoming adversity or personal challenges, and in doing so, have inspired admiration, respect, and the courage to grow more fully toward our better selves."
During his life, Naylor’s philanthropic commitment to McDonogh never wavered. He supported academics with gifts to the Naylor Scholarship Fund, the Naylor Reference Room in the Upper School’s Kiplinger Library, and in 2010 with the lead gift for the construction of the Naylor STEM Building. At its opening, he told the crowd that the lessons he learned during his 12 years as a scholarship student had greatly shaped his life.
He supported McDonogh athletics with a gift to the equestrian program for the construction of the Eagles Nest indoor riding ring, and the Naylor Wrestling Room honors his lifelong love of the sport. He also established The Irvin S. Naylor Family Endowed Headmaster's Fund in honor of former Headmaster Bo Dixon.
In 2008, he reflected: “My philanthropy is primarily focused in two areas: stem cell research and McDonogh School. McDonogh has meant a lot to me and my family. Much of my financial and social success harks back to McDonogh. I learned how to study and how to prioritize. I learned manners. I learned values. McDonogh has always stood for things I thought important: the idea that ‘one should do good while they’re doing good.’”
Head of School Dave Farace ‘87 said, “Irv embodied everything McDonogh stands for — generosity, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the power of this place to shape a life. His presence will always be felt on our campus. Buildings bear his name, awards carry his spirit, and the students whose paths he quietly shaped will carry his legacy forward.”
Irv Naylor is survived by his wife, Diane, children Scott Naylor ’75, Peter Naylor, and Vivian Little, and grandchildren Scott C. Naylor, II (Chet) ’02, Sarah Naylor McPhee ’07, and Leah Naylor-Ickes. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.