Lettering a Legacy: The Artist Behind 1,300 CRMS Diplomas

For three decades, Lynne Galluzzo has been an integral yet little-known part of the Colorado Rocky Mountain School community. She is the calligrapher who has handwritten every CRMS leather diploma since 1992.

Her journey with calligraphy began over fifty years ago. Lynne started calligraphy in Syracuse, New York, where she met her husband. A move to New Jersey helped her hone her skills as a member of the Philadelphia Calligraphy Society. Later in Kentucky, Lynne worked filling out diplomas for Western Kentucky University. A highlight was when she lettered her own name on her diploma. Eventually, she moved to Colorado, became an art teacher, and rebuilt her calligraphy business. 

In 1992, CRMS’s silk screen printer quit. That prompted the school to look for an artisan to hand-letter their diplomas. Despite initial uncertainty about lettering on leather, Lynne embraced the challenge. She found herself immersed in the tradition of CRMS. In 2018 she moved to Massachusetts but continued infusing each diploma with precision and care.

This June will mark Lynne’s 33rd year of creating CRMS graduation diplomas. During this time, she has lovingly hand-lettered over 1,300 of these cherished mementos. She plans to continue her work for six more years before retiring at age 80. She hopes to attend the graduation ceremony in person for that final class. “I wish I could have attended every single graduation to match faces to names, knowing that each student is unique and extraordinary.”