<p>Here’s the real story… There was a lady named Gladesch, also known as the “Empress of Soul”. She and her band, Gladesch Knight and the Pips, were part of the highly influential 1960’s Motown R&B music scene. Gladesch’s hit song “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” became WILDLY popular among the New England boarding school community. A small group of those boarding schools, the ones where her most ardent fans studied, became the collective hub of the Gladesch Fan Club in her honor. Consequently, that group of schools became known as simply GLADESCH. She was creeped out so she legally changed her name to Gladys. Even though her named was changed, she will still and forever be the Empress of Soul.</p>