Knowles & Mattiace Capture Pettit Scholarships
T. Christopher Pettit’s name is etched in proverbial granite at Huntington High School as one of its most outstanding scholars and athletes ever.
A member of the Class of 1963, Mr. Pettit captained three varsity Blue Devil teams and went on to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was a two-time All-American lacrosse player and the team’s captain and leading scorer.
Born in Huntington Hospital on February 18, 1945, Mr. Pettit enjoyed a remarkable career at Huntington High School, serving as captain of the football, basketball and lacrosse teams and being elected G.O. president by the student body. He addressed classmates as the “honor speaker” at the 102nd annual commencement on June 25, 1963 at 8:15 p.m. in the school auditorium.
“Things do not happen in this world; they are brought about by people who are concerned and who become involved,” Mr. Pettit said during his commencement address. “I know that we can have the courage to affirm life by our involvement in living.”
After graduating from West Point, Mr. Pettit became a battery commander on a missile base in what was then West Germany. He also served in combat as an Army Ranger in the Vietnam War, earning two Bronze Stars and moving up the ranks to captain.
Following his military career, the Huntington alum taught math for two years and coached football and then was in business for four years before he joined Lehman Brothers in 1977, climbing through the commercial paper and bond divisions. Mr. Pettit was named a partner in 1982 and eventually became the storied Wall Street firm’s president and chief operating officer. He left the company on November 26, 1996.
Mr. Pettit was killed while snowmobiling at night on a frozen lake near Windham, Maine on February 15, 1997. He reportedly hit a stump and his helmet dislodged as he was thrown from the fast moving vehicle. He sustained a massive head injury and passed away while being rushed to a nearby hospital. The Huntington grad was 51 years old. He is interred in St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.
In the weeks and months that followed the tragedy, Mr. Pettit’s family created an annual scholarship that currently provides a four-year award worth a total of $8,000 ($2,000 per year) to a graduating Huntington High School senior.
This year’s Pettit scholarship was presented to Huntington Class of 2015 valedictorian Caitlin Knowles, who is headed to the University of Virginia in the fall. The teenager has been accepted into the Echols Scholars and College Science Scholars programs. She plans to pursue a double major in environmental science and economics.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this scholarship,” Ms. Knowles said. “Everyone who spoke about Chris Pettit praised him as an excellent leader who cared so much about his community and was always kind to the people around him. I am so glad that his wonderful family could continue his legacy in this way and I am grateful to them for helping me with the cost of my college education.”
Ms. Knowles is enjoying her last weeks in Huntington before college. “I’ll definitely be spending a lot of time with the friends I’ve known since elementary school before we go our separate ways,” she said.
The teenager was a starter on the Blue Devil soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams, was the Class of 2015’s recording secretary, president of the Science Honor Society and a key participant in a long list of school activities. She has participated in summer internships at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Silent Spring Institute, studying environmental causes of breast cancer.
Huntington Class of 2015 member Timothy Mattiace received a one-time $2,000 Petit scholarship in recognition of his outstanding academic and athletic records. He will be attending Binghamton University in the fall, where he plans to study finance and play NCAA Division I lacrosse.
One of the leading members of Huntington’s senior class, Mr. Mattiace starred on the football and lacrosse teams in addition to earning superb grades in his classes. He participated in a credit bearing internship with Huntington Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics Georgia D. McCarthy.
In addition to being a leading figure in the international financial world, Mr. Pettit found time to coach youth lacrosse, soccer and basketball. He was one of the founders of the Cold Spring Harbor-Huntington Youth Lacrosse Club. The former Blue Devil star and Army great was inducted into the Long Island Metro Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1994.
In addition to his work at Lehman Brothers, Mr. Pettit was a key contributor to cancer research. He was among those who helped organize the Dorothy Rodbell Cohen Foundation for Sarcoma Research, which has provided millions of dollars in grants over the years.