Ethical Culture Fieldston School (ECFS), also referred to as Fieldston, is a private independent school in New York City. The school is a member of the

Ivy Preparatory School League The Ivy Preparatory School League is a high school athletic conference of university-preparatory schools in New York City and its suburbs. The Ivy Preparatory School League has no affiliation with the Ivy League universities. Members The league co ...

. The school serves approximately 1,700 students with 480 faculty and staff. Joe Algrant is the Head of School. The school consists of four divisions: Ethical Culture, Fieldston Lower, Fieldston Middle, and Fieldston Upper. Ethical Culture, located on the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

of Manhattan, and Fieldston Lower, located on the Fieldston campus in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, serve Pre-K through 5th grade. The two lower schools feed into Fieldston Middle (6th–8th grades) and Fieldston Upper (9th–12th grades)—also located on the Fieldston campus in Riverdale. Ethical Culture is headed by Principal Rob Cousins, Fieldston Lower is headed by Principal Joe McCauley, Fieldston Middle is headed by Principal Jonathan Alschuler, and Fieldston Upper is headed by Principal Stacey Bobo. Tuition and fees for ECFS were $55,510 for the 2020–2021 school year, and are increasing to $63,000 for the 2022-2023 school year.

History

301 WORKINGMEN'S SCHOOL, SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE, 54 WEST 54TH STREET

The school opened in 1878 as a free

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

, founded by Felix Adler at the age of 24. In 1880, elementary grades were added, and the school was then called the Workingman's School. At that time, the idea that the children of the poor should be educated was innovative. By 1890 the school's academic reputation encouraged many more wealthy parents to seek it out, and the school was expanded to accommodate the upper-class as well, and began charging tuition; in 1895 the name changed to "The Ethical Culture School", and in 1903 the New York Society for Ethical Culture became its sponsor. Fieldston awards over $15 million in tuition-based financial aid to 22% of the student body. The school moved into its Manhattan building at 33 Central Park West in 1904. The entire school was located in that building until 1928 when the high school division (Fieldston) moved to its 18-acre (73,000 m²) campus on Fieldston Road in the Fieldston section of Riverdale; the Manhattan branch of the Lower School remained there, and in 1932 a second Lower School was opened on the Riverdale campus. In 2007, a new middle school was opened on the same Riverdale campus, for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. One of the early faculty members was American sociologist

Lewis Hine Lewis Wickes Hine (September 26, 1874 – November 3, 1940) was an American sociologist and muckraker photographer. His photographs were instrumental in bringing about the passage of the first child labor laws in the United States. Early life ...

. In March 1970, about 60 students occupied the administration building in protest to demand that more black and Puerto Rican students be admitted to the school. They also aimed to have a greater number of minority courses, teachers, advisors, employees. The school agreed to some of the student demands.

Recent developments

Beginning in 2015, the school began separating children for mandatory weekly "affinity group" meetings based on their self-identified race, to discuss issues of race and bias. The experimental program met with controversy from Fieldston parents, many of whom compared the meetings to

segregation Segregation may refer to: Separation of people * Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space * School segregation * Housing segregation * Racial segregation, separation of humans ...

. In February 2019, a video that is believed to be created years previously was discovered by administrators after it was shared during a dispute between students. The students in the video use derogatory and racist language. Students involved who were still enrolled in the school were punished; however, some 100 students who thought the actions were not enough staged a sit-in reminiscent of the 1970 protest. The students presented the administrators with twenty demands that included increased racial bias training, more faculty of color, the recruitment of more students of color, and a required ethnic studies course; the students' demands were agreed to and are planned to be implemented over the course of 2–3 years. WTM NewYorkDolls 002

The school also attracted attention in November 2019 after it hosted a guest speaker who compared the Israeli treatment of Palestinians to the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

, a statement which was denounced by many as

antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Ant ...

, including two Reform Jewish rabbis who spoke at the school in the wake of the controversy and subsequently published a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' editorial about the incident. The school's response to the controversy was sharply criticized as being inadequate and itself antisemitic by many parents of Fieldston students. U.S. Congressmen

Josh Gottheimer Joshua S. Gottheimer ( ; born March 8, 1975) is an American attorney, writer, and public policy adviser who has served as the U.S. representative for since 2017. The district stretches along the northern border of the state from New York City' ...

and

Max Rose Max N. Rose (born November 28, 1986) is an American military officer and politician who served as a United States representative from New York for a single term from 2019 to 2021. A moderate Democrat, he served on the committees for Homeland Se ...

also wrote its administrators condemning the incident. In January 2020, the school fired a Jewish teacher who posted tweets opposing the invitation of two speakers on anti-Semitism because they were, according to him, "white" and Zionists. There were parents who asked for the teacher's reinstatement.

Academics

Fieldston dropped its participation in the

Advanced Placement Program Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

in 2002 to give its faculty the freedom to offer more innovative, challenging, and thought-provoking material. Students can take AP exams, but the school no longer officially sponsors such courses. While there was some concern that college admissions could be negatively affected, Fieldston's college office worked closely with admissions officers of schools across the country to explain the change and to assure that its students would be evaluated on the quality of its courses, even without the AP designation.

Athletics

Fieldston's athletic program includes 62 teams covering 23 sports. The teams, known as the "Fieldston Eagles," play in the

against other private schools in the region. The school's hockey team as well as the girls and boys ultimate frisbee teams, however, do not play in the league and schedule their own games. Fieldston's most recent athletic title was the NYSAIS Girls Soccer tournament in 2021.

Special programs

*Before School and After School – at the two Lower schools, and after school in the Middle School *Fieldston Enrichment Program (FEP) – tutoring program for selected public school students in preparation of public and private high school entrance exams and requirements *Young Dancemakers Company – summer dance program *City Semester – an interdisciplinary experiential-education based semester program focusing on New York City *STS (Students Teaching Students) – a specialized ethics program in which Form V & Form VI students (juniors and seniors) teach middle school students. This curriculum covers a wide range of topics including community norms, relationships, decision-making, navigating choices encountered in middle and high school situations (e.g., around social media, sex, drugs, alcohol, and bullying). *Bridge to Bridge - a mentoring program for students of color in the upper school to mentor middle schoolers of color.

Peer schools

Ethical Culture Fieldston is a part of the

, with many of New York City's elite private schools. The three high schools Fieldston, Riverdale, and

Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts Sta ...

together are known as the "Hill schools," as all three are located within a short walking distance of each other in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, on a hilly area above

Van Cortlandt Park Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is managed with assistance from the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. The park, the city's third-lar ...

. The three are also involved in inter-school sports rivalry.

Notable alumni and former students

Among its many notable alumni and former students are: *

A. G. Sulzberger Arthur Gregg Sulzberger (born August 5, 1980) is an American journalist serving as chairman of The New York Times Company and publisher of its flagship newspaper, '' The New York Times''. Early life and education Sulzberger was born in Washin ...

– the chairman of

The New York Times Company The New York Times Company is an American mass media company that publishes ''The New York Times''. Its headquarters are in Manhattan, New York City. History The company was founded by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones in New York City. ...

and the publisher of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' *

Jill Abramson Jill Ellen Abramson (born March 19, 1954) is an American author, journalist, and academic. She is best known as the former executive editor of ''The New York Times''; Abramson held that position from September 2011 to May 2014. She was the first ...

– former executive editor of ''

'' * Clifford Alexander Jr. – former Secretary of the Army * George J. Ames - former

Lazard Lazard Ltd (formerly known as Lazard Frères & Co.) is a financial advisory and asset management firm that engages in investment banking, asset management and other financial services, primarily with institutional clients. It is the world's la ...

executive * Joseph Amiel – author *

Diane Arbus Diane Arbus (; née Nemerov; March 14, 1923 – July 26, 1971
" The New York ...

– photographer *

Leon Black Leon David Black (born July 31, 1951) is an American investor and the co-founder and former-CEO of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management. Black also served as the chairman of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City from Ju ...

– financier,

Apollo Management Apollo Global Management, Inc. is an American global private-equity firm. It provides investment management and invests in credit, private equity, and real assets. As of March 31, 2022, the company had $512 billion of assets under management, ...

and

Drexel Burnham Lambert Drexel Burnham Lambert was an American multinational investment bank that was forced into bankruptcy in 1990 due to its involvement in illegal activities in the junk bond market, driven by senior executive Michael Milken. At its height, it was ...

* Richard D. Brown – historian of colonial and revolutionary-era America; professor emeritus at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

Nancy Cantor Nancy Ellen Cantor (born April 2, 1952) is an American academic administrator and the chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark, in Newark, New Jersey. A social psychologist, Cantor is recognized for her scholarly contributions to the understanding ...

– chancellor,

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

Roy Cohn Roy Marcus Cohn (; February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer and prosecutor who came to prominence for his role as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954, when he assisted McCarth ...

– attorney *

Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola (; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and actress. The youngest child and only daughter of filmmakers Eleanor Coppola, Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola, she made her film debut as an infant in her father's acclaimed ...

– Oscar-winning writer/director (attended middle school at Fieldston) *

Andrew Delbanco Andrew H. Delbanco (born 1952) is the Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies at Columbia University and the president of thTeagle Foundation He is the author of many books, including ''The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the St ...

– critic and author. Director,

American studies American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship that examines American literature, history, society, and culture. It traditionally incorporates literary criticism, historiography and critical theory. Schol ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Nicholas Delbanco Nicholas Delbanco (born 1942) is an American writer. Life and career Delbanco was born in London, England, the son of German Jewish parents Barbara (née Bernstein) and Kurt Delbanco, a businessman, art dealer, and sculptor. He was educated at H ...

– novelist *

David Denby David Denby (born 1943) is an American journalist. He served as film critic for ''The New Yorker'' until December 2014. Early life and education Denby grew up in New York City. He received a B. A. from Columbia University in 1965, and a master' ...

– film critic, ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' *

Ralph de Toledano Ralph de Toledano (August 17, 1916 – February 3, 2007) was an American writer in the conservative movement in the United States throughout the second half of the 20th century. A friend of Richard Nixon, he was a journalist and editor of ''Newsw ...

– author *

Glen de Vries Glen de Vries (June 29, 1972 – November 11, 2021) was an American entrepreneur in the field of medical science and pharmacology. He was the co-founder and co-CEO of Medidata Solutions. Early life and education De Vries grew up in New York (s ...

– American entrepreneur in the field of medical science and pharmacology *

Joseph Leo Doob Joseph Leo Doob (February 27, 1910 – June 7, 2004) was an American mathematician, specializing in analysis and probability theory. The theory of martingales was developed by Doob. Early life and education Doob was born in Cincinnati, Ohi ...

– mathematician *

Douglas Durst Douglas Durst (born December 19, 1944) is an American real estate investor and developer. He is the president of the Durst Organization, which he has been in charge of since 1992. Early life and education Durst was born in New York City in 1944 ...

– real estate magnate *John Friedman – film producer, ''Hotel Terminus'', winner of 1988 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature *

Rita Gam Rita Gam (born Rita Eleanore MacKay, April 2, 1927March 22, 2016) was an American film and television actress and documentary filmmaker. She won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Background Gam was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daughte ...

– film actress *

Jim Gardner James or Jim Gardner may refer to: * James Gardner (surveyor), British engineer * James Gardner (designer) (1907–1995), British industrial designer * James Gardner (musician) (born 1962), British musician and composer * James A. Gardner (1943� ...

– longtime

WPVI-TV WPVI-TV (channel 6), branded on-air as 6 ABC, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, airing programming from the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the stati ...

news anchor * Alan Gilbert – music director of the

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Ailes Gilmour Ailes Gilmour (January 27, 1912 – April 16, 1993) was a Japanese American dancer who was one of the young pioneers of the American Modern Dance movement of the 1930s. She was one of the first members of Martha Graham's dance company. Gilmour's ...

– dancer *

Leonie Gilmour Leonie or Léonie is a Latin language, Latin-origin Grammatical gender#Personal names, feminine given name meaning "lioness", from the masculine personal name ''Leon (given name), Leon'' (meaning "lion"). Leonie evolved to Léonie in France. It is ...

– educator and writer *

Rob Glaser Robert Denis Glaser (born January 16, 1962 in New York City, New York) is the founder of RealNetworks, which produces RealAudio, RealVideo, RealPlayer, and Helix, among other products and services. Before founding RealNetworks, he had become a m ...

– internet pioneer *

Matt Goldman Matt Goldman (born December 30, 1969) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer, and songwriter based in Atlanta, Georgia. Biography Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States, Goldman is a drummer by trade. Goldman ...

, performance artist. Co-founder,

Blue Man Group Blue Man Group is an American performance art company formed in 1987. It was purchased in July 2017 by the Canadian company Cirque du Soleil. Blue Man Group is known for its stage productions, which incorporate many kinds of music and art, bot ...

Maggie Haberman Maggie Lindsy Haberman (born October 30, 1973) is an American journalist, a White House correspondent for ''The New York Times'', and a political analyst for CNN. She previously worked as a political reporter for the ''New York Post'', the New ...

– ''The New York Times'' political reporter *

Judith Lewis Herman Judith Lewis Herman (born 1942) is an American psychiatrist, researcher, teacher, and author who has focused on the understanding and treatment of incest and traumatic stress. Herman is Professor of clinical psychiatry at Harvard University Med ...

— psychiatrist *

Susie Linfield Susie Linfield is a social and cultural theorist at New York University. Background and education Between the ages of 8 and 15 Linfield was a student at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet in New York City. She danced as a student in pro ...

- author, critic, editor and NYU Professor *

Charles Herman-Wurmfeld Charles Herman-Wurmfeld (born July 5, 1966) is an American film and television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for ...

– film director *

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– political scientist. Adlai E. Stevenson Professor,

* Elizabeth Jonas (neurologist) – physician, neuroscientist, and professor,

Yale School of Medicine The Yale School of Medicine is the graduate medical school at Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. The primary te ...

* Rodney Jones – jazz guitarist *

Jeffrey Katzenberg Jeffrey Katzenberg (; born December 21, 1950) is an American filmmaker, animator, and media proprietor. He became well known for his tenure as chairman of Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994. After departing Disney, he was a co-founder and C ...

– film producer, media mogul * Yosuke Kawasaki – violinist * Sinah Estelle Kelley – chemist *

William Melvin Kelley William Melvin Kelley (November 1, 1937 – February 1, 2017) was an African-American novelist and short-story writer. He is perhaps best known for his debut novel, '' A Different Drummer'', published in 1962. As "Remainders" in the print issue, ...

– author (''A Different Drummer'', ''Dunfords Travels Everywhere'') * Charlie King – New York civic leader and politician *

Arthur Kinoy Arthur Kinoy (September 20, 1920 – September 19, 2003), was an American attorney and progressive civil rights leader who helped defend Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. He served as a professor of law at the Rutgers School of Law–Newark from 1964 to ...

– civil rights lawyer *

Ernest Kinoy Ernest Kinoy (April 1, 1925 – November 10, 2014) was an American writer, screenwriter and playwright. Early life Kinoy was born in New York City on April 1, 1925; his parents, Albert and Sarah Kinoy (formerly Forstadt), were both high-school ...

– screenwriter * Walter Koenig – actor *

Joseph Kraft Joseph Kraft (September 4, 1924 – January 10, 1986) was an American journalist. Career Kraft began his career in journalism at the age of 14 where he worked as a stringer covering high school sports for the New York World-Telegram. Kraft wo ...

– public affairs columnist *

Louise Lasser Louise Marie Lasser (born April 11, 1939) is an American actress, television writer, and performing arts teacher and director. She is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera satire '' Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.'' She was ...

– actress *

Christopher Lehmann-Haupt Christopher Lehmann-Haupt (June 14, 1934 – November 7, 2018) was an American journalist, editor of the ''New York Times Book Review'', critic, and novelist, based in New York City. He served as senior Daily Book Reviewer from 1969 to 1995. Bi ...

– author, ''

'' book reviewer *

Sean Ono Lennon is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, Th ...

– musician (did not graduate from Fieldston) * Eda LeShan – child psychologist and author * Carl P. Leubsdorf – Washington bureau chief, ''Dallas Morning News'' *

Doug Liman Douglas Eric Liman (; born July 24, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing the films '' Swingers'' (1996), '' Go'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005), ''Jumper'' (2008), '' Ed ...

– film director ('' Bourne Identity'', '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'') *

Andrew Litton Andrew Litton (born May 16, 1959, New York City) is an American orchestral conductor. Litton is a graduate of The Fieldston School. He studied piano with Nadia Reisenberg and conducting with Sixten Ehrling at the Juilliard School of Music in New Y ...

– conductor, New York City Ballet * Beulah Livingstone – motion picture publicist * Douglas Lowenstein – president and CEO of Private Equity Council, founder and former president of

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* Douglas Lowy – cancer biologist; director of U.S. National Cancer Institute *

Staughton Lynd Staughton Craig Lynd (November 22, 1929 – November 17, 2022) was an American political activist, author, and lawyer.Staughton Lynd, ''Living Inside Our Hope: A Steadfast Radical's Thoughts on Rebuilding the Movement,'' Cornell University Pres ...

– peace activist and civil rights activist *

Jeffrey Lyons Jeffrey Lyons (born November 5, 1944) is an American television and film critic based in the New York metropolitan area. Early life Lyons was born in Manhattan, one of the four sons of Sylvia R. (Schoenberger) and Leonard Lyons, a newspaper colu ...

– film critic,

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, New York City * Mark A. Michaels- author and sexuality educator * Bob Marshall – conservationist, writer, and the founder of The Wilderness Society *

Andy Marvel Andrew "Andy" Marvel (born Andrew Michael Saidenberg, July 2, 1958, New York City) is an American songwriter and record producer based out of New York City. He has written songs for Celine Dion, Diana King, Jessica Simpson and Colleen Fitzp ...

– award-winning musician * Grace M. Mayer – curator at The Museum of the City of New York and

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Jane Mayer Jane Meredith Mayer (born 1955) is an American investigative journalist who has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' since 1995. She has written for the publication about money in politics; government prosecution of whistleblowers; the Uni ...

– best selling author, investigative journalist, ''

'' *

Zach McGowan Zach McGowan (born May 5, 1980) is an American film, television and voice actor. He is known for his roles in television series '' Shameless'' as Jody, ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' as Anton Ivanov/The Superior, '' Black Sails'' as Charles Vane, an ...

- actor * Marguerita Mergentime – industrial designer *

Nicholas Meyer Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945) is an American writer and director, known for his best-selling novel ''The Seven-Per-Cent Solution'', and for directing the films '' Time After Time'', two of the ''Star Trek'' feature films, the 1983 tele ...

– film director *

Jo Mielziner Joseph "Jo" Mielziner (March 19, 1901 – March 15, 1976) was an American theatrical scenic design, scenic, and lighting design, lighting designer born in Paris, France. He was described as "the most successful set designer of the Golden era of Br ...

– stage designer * Olivette Miller – jazz harpist *

Marvin Minsky Marvin Lee Minsky (August 9, 1927 – January 24, 2016) was an American cognitive and computer scientist concerned largely with research of artificial intelligence (AI), co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AI laboratory ...

– pioneer in artificial intelligence at MIT * Tim Minton – television journalist and media executive *

Alfred Mirsky Alfred Ezra Mirsky (October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1974) was an American pioneer in molecular biology. Mirsky graduated from Harvard College in 1922, after which he studied for two years at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeon ...

– cell biologist *

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– writer * Frederic S. Mishkin – governor of the

Federal Reserve Board The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, commonly known as the Federal Reserve Board, is the main governing body of the Federal Reserve System. It is charged with overseeing the Federal Reserve Banks and with helping implement the m ...

Robert M. Morgenthau Robert Morris Morgenthau ( ; July 31, 1919July 21, 2019) was an American lawyer. From 1975 until his retirement in 2009, he was the District Attorney for New York County (the borough of Manhattan), having previously served as United States Attorn ...

– retired

New York County Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

District Attorney *

Howard Nemerov Howard Nemerov (March 1, 1920 – July 5, 1991) was an American poet. He was twice Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, from 1963 to 1964 and again from 1988 to 1990. For ''The Collected Poems of Howard Nemerov'' (1977) ...

– former United States

Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...

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– actor, writer *

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– physicist, Scientific Director of the

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, "Father of the Atomic Bomb" * Eleanor Pepper – architect, interior designer * Emanuel R. Piore – chief scientist of IBM, and electrical engineering pioneer *

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– author *

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- President of

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– author *

Edward R. Pressman Edward Rambach Pressman (April 11, 1943 – January 17, 2023) was an American film producer and founder of the production company Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation. Pressman was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Lynn and J ...

– film producer *

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– business and civic leader * Nancy Reiner - graduating as Nancy Russek, cover artist of

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

album ''

The Cry of Love ''The Cry of Love'' is a posthumous album by American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Recorded primarily in 1970, it features new material that Hendrix was working on for his planned fourth studio album before his death later t ...

'' (1971), among others *

Menachem Z. Rosensaft Menachem Z. Rosensaft (born 1948) an attorney in New York and the founding chairman of the International Network of Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, is a leader of the Second Generation movement of children of Holocaust survivors. He has ...

– attorney and founding chairman of the International Network of Children of Jewish Survivors *

Dan Rottenberg Dan Rottenberg (born June 10, 1942) is an author, editor and journalist. He has been the chief editor of seven publications, most recently ''Broad Street Review, an independent cultural arts website he launched in December 2005 and edited for eig ...

— journalist and author *

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– poet and playwright *

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– associate editor and syndicated columnist for ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...

'' newspaper * James H. Scheuer – US Congressman (NY) *

Gil Scott-Heron Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American jazz poet, singer, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Ja ...

– musician *

Nicole Seligman Nicole Seligman (born 1957) is an American attorney and corporate director. She received national attention in the United States for her representation of Lieutenant Colonel (United States), Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North during the Congressiona ...

– lawyer,

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

executive * Cynthia Propper Seton – novelist *

Robert B. Sherman Robert Bernard Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) was an American songwriter, best known for his work in musical films with his brother, Richard M. Sherman. The Sherman brothers produced more motion picture song scores than any ...

– composer, lyricist, screenwriter, painter *

Stephen Slesinger Stephen Slesinger (December 25, 1901 – December 17, 1953) was an American radio, television and film producer, creator of comic strip characters and the father of the licensing industry. From 1923 to 1953, he created, produced, published, develo ...

– creator of the Red Ryder comic strip * Tess Slesinger – author/screenwriter *

Jay Smooth John Randolph, better known as Jay Smooth (born 1972) is a cultural commentator best known for his ''Ill Doctrine'' video blog. He is also the founder of New York City's longest-running hip hop radio program, WBAI's ''Underground Railroad''. Sm ...

– radio host and cultural commentator * Donald J. Sobol – author of juvenile short stories; creator of Encyclopedia Brown *

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

– composer; attended the Fieldston Lower School * Dan Squadron – New York State Senator *

Andy Stein Andy Stein is an American saxophone and violin player. He is a member of The Guys All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and the movie. He was a founding member of the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Pla ...

– musician *

Stewart Stern Stewart Henry Stern (March 22, 1922 – February 2, 2015) was an American screenwriter. He is best known for writing the screenplay for the film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), starring James Dean. Writing In addition to ''Rebel Without a Caus ...

– screenwriter *

Paul Strand Paul Strand (October 16, 1890 – March 31, 1976) was an American photographer and filmmaker who, along with fellow modernist photographers like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, helped establish photography as an art form in the 20th century ...

– photographer and filmmaker *

James Toback James Toback (; born November 23, 1944) is an American film director and screenwriter. His screenplay for ''Bugsy'' won the 1991 Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for best screenplay of the year and was nominated for both the Academy Awa ...

– filmmaker *

Richard Tofel Richard Tofel is the principal of Gallatin Advisory, a journalism consultancy, and former president of ProPublica, a non-profit investigative journalism organization. He was the general manager of ProPublica from its founding in 2007 until 2012, a ...

– journalist, attorney, administrator, non fiction writer *

Doris Ulmann Doris Ulmann (May 29, 1882 – August 28, 1934) was an American photographer, best known for her portraits of the people of Appalachia, particularly craftsmen and musicians, made between 1928 and 1934. Life and career Doris Ulmann was a na ...

– photographer of

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, C ...

Laurence Urdang Laurence Urdang (March 21, 1927 – August 21, 2008) was a lexicographer, editor and author noted for first computerising the unabridged ''Random House Dictionary of the English Language'', published in 1966. He was also the founding editor ...

– lexicographer, dictionary editor * Helen Valentine – founder of '' Seventeen'' magazine * Elliot Villar – actor *

Barbara Walters Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25, 1929) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. Known for her interviewing ability and popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as a host of numerous television programs, including ...

– TV news *

Andrew Weisblum Andrew Weisblum (born November 7, 1971) is an American film and visual effects editor. He has collaborated frequently with directors Darren Aronofsky and Wes Anderson. Weisblum was nominated for two American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards for Best E ...

– Oscar-nominated film editor *

Chris Wink Chris Wink (born 1961 in New York City, New York) is an American theater performer and director. He is one of the founding members of the Blue Man Group, as well as co-founder of Blue School. He has won numerous awards as a writer and performer, i ...

, performance artist; co-founder,

* Howard Wolfson – deputy mayor of New York City * Jane C. Wright – oncologist * Keith L. T. Wright –

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

man *

Sheryl WuDunn Sheryl WuDunn (born November 16, 1959) is an American business executive, writer, lecturer, and Pulitzer Prize winner. A senior banker focusing on growth companies in technology, new media and the emerging markets, WuDunn also works with double ...

–

investment banker Investment banking pertains to certain activities of a financial services company or a corporate division that consist in advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of individuals, corporations, and governments. Traditionally associated with ...

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

-winning journalist * Adam Yarmolinsky – academic and author who served in the Kennedy,

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

and

Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter ...

administrations * Eli Zabar – New York City restaurateur * Lynn Zelevansky - contemporary art curator and

Carnegie Museum of Art The Carnegie Museum of Art, is an art museum in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally known as the Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute and was at what is now the Main Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsbu ...

director

References

External links

* *
Ethical Culture Fieldston School records
a
New-York Historical Society
{{Authority control Central Park West Historic District Educational institutions established in 1878 Ethical movement Ivy Preparatory School League Private high schools in the Bronx Private middle schools in the Bronx Private elementary schools in the Bronx Private K-12 schools in New York City Private elementary schools in Manhattan Preparatory schools in New York City Riverdale, Bronx Upper West Side 1878 establishments in New York (state)

History

Recent developments

Academics

Athletics

Special programs

Peer schools

Notable alumni and former students

See also

References

External links