Fond memories for Rulon-Miller
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Harry Rulon-Miller has plenty of great memories from his 50-plus years at what is now Princeton Day School. But when he takes time to reflect, he fondly recalls students who weren’t necessarily the best athletes, but just had that something special about them.
After spending many years as a teacher at the school, Rulon-Miller has been the main man associated with the Lisa McGraw Skating Rink since it was built and opened in 1998. He’s always loved ice hockey and those associated with the sport.
”It is such a fantastic sport,” said Rulon-Miller, who retired earlier this month as the hockey coordinator at PDS. “The boys and girls who are rookies have a chance to really have fun here. One of them is presently a senior named Culver Dugratte, who could not skate a stride when he entered the ninth grade. Despite the fact he couldn’t skate he caught the bug and for some reason they took him on as a JV player in the ninth grade. I’m not sure but he may have been one of the assistant captains of the JV team in the 10th grade even though he wasn’t a major player.
”He is a unique athlete is so many respects. He is respected by other athletes who are super athletes. Even though he was JV last year he chronicled the varsity teams exploits from the beginning of the season to the end. He came in during the ninth grade and just swallowed up all sports. He just loved it. Those are the kinds of people I go for.”
Rulon-Miller has met plenty of people over his years at the school, not only from PDS but opposing schools as well. While he may have been officially known as the Hockey Coordinator, he was often dubbed the Hockey Ambassador. He spent 53 years as the school as a student, teacher and coach and has always been a fixture at the rink.
He attended Princeton Country Day through ninth grade, which at the time was as far as the school went for boys. He then graduated from St. Paul’s in New Hampshire before attending Princeton University, where he was a Class of 1958 graduate. He would eventual return to PCD, which later merged Miss Fine’s School to become PDS.
The return to his roots seemed only natural. After two years in the Navy and one year traveling, he was back in Princeton.
”One, it seemed to be coming home,” the 78-year-old Rulon-Miller said. “And No. 2, I wanted to do something abroad and the openings abroad were not really open at the time. The other thing was a non-affinity for the business world. An adviser at Princeton, Mrs. Cox, has a great affinity for the teaching aspect. It turned out PDS was a place that was open and maybe I could go teach abroad after a while.
”I was at home with the kids and I was at home with the athletic component. I started out teaching math.”
Other than a year in Greece and a year in Colorado, he has been at the school ever since. He coached the varsity ice hockey team until 1980 and enjoyed that aspect quite a bit.
”We fielded out first high school varsity team in 1968 and we had seniors in 1969 or 1970 because the two schools merged physically in 1966,” Rulon-Miller recalled. “That senior class had Chris Reeve, who was first goaltender I coached. That first team was very unusual because it had the best kinds of kids who worked together nicely. We were invited to go to the Milton Tournament in 1969 and this little school from New Jersey within 24 hours walked away with a championship.
”We had a nice little crew of about 15 kids with three rotations and a defensive cluster of players who were just magnificent and some forward lines that wouldn’t quit.”
Since 1997 his home has been the hockey rink. It was a part-time job with full-time responsibilities. Rulon-Miller loved the job and loved being part of hockey community.
”I found out that I have been working too hard as a part-timer,” he said with a laugh. “In fact, I have been involved too much with the school over the past 49½ years in many ways. I have a great sense of something being lifted off on one hand and a case of what do I do next on the other. I know I am not the kind that can sit on a hammock.
”I know that in the past 15 years, starting with spectators and going through officials, skaters, ice hockey teams, they love to come here. Some of it is me. Sometimes it is the little things. Opposing teams know they don’t have to bring pucks along. The parents have been very strong. The people in the athletic department and the facilities department who I have been especially close with over the last 15 years are just supporters who are cool. I am going to miss them as being a part of whatever it is.”
Being close to the hockey programs, Rulon-Miller got to know the coaches very well. And they certainly left an impression on him.
”I have gotten to know some different coaches who have been terrific in their own ways,” Rulon-Miller said. “Everyone from a Graham Craig, who came to PDS in the early 70s and was an NCAA champion at the University of Michigan in 1954. He was courageous enough to come and coach our team at the varsity level when we needed him in the 80s. To this unbelievably good teacher and coach, Chris Barcless, who was one of the best teachers of skating or hockey or whatever I have seen around. To this present associate athletic director (Scott Bertoli) who is just has a phenomenal way with kids as kids and school as school and sportsman as sportsman as anyone I have ever met. He may be the coach of hockey but his door is open in a special way to all athletes and their coaches. He’s just another great product of Princeton.”
Rulon-Miller was another great product of Princeton. And one who will be missed at PDS.

