Northwood School is an independent co-educational boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 located in
Lake Placid,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
in the heart of the
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...
.
History
1905–1927: Founding and early years
In 1905 John M. Hopkins, a
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
graduate who had previously taught at
The Hill School
The Hill School (commonly known as The Hill) is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admissions Organization (TSAO).
...
and the Florida-Adirondack School (later
Ransom Everglades School
Ransom Everglades School is an independent, non-profit, co-educational, college-preparatory day school serving grades six to twelve in Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida. It formed with the merger in 1974 of the Everglades School for Girls and the ...
), established a school in Lake Placid described as, “organized with quarters in the Adirondacks in the summer and in Florida in the winter. The school will furnish a home in which boys may have careful personal attention, the advantages of experienced teachers and wholesome natural outdoor life and amusements.” During this time the school was known variously as Hopkins School, Lake Placid School, and Lake Placid Boys School. Hopkins led the school until 1921 and oversaw its growth from six students to forty. By the time of Hopkins's departure the school was described as being, “...remarkably successful not only in the records of its boys in entrance examinations, but in their after careers in college.”
Herbert L. Malcolm, another
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
graduate, took over leadership of the school in 1921 and served as headmaster until 1925. The school had for years enjoyed a close relationship with the
Lake Placid Club
The Lake Placid Club was a social and recreation club founded 1895, in a hotel on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, New York, under Melvil Dewey's leadership and according to his ideals. It was instrumental in Lake Placid's development as an internatio ...
, which had been founded by
Melvil Dewey
Melville Louis Kossuth "Melvil" Dewey (December 10, 1851 – December 26, 1931) was an influential American librarian and educator, inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification, a founder of the Lake Placid Club, and a chief lib ...
, creator of the
Dewey Decimal System, in 1895. Many of the students’ families were members of the club and the school utilized club grounds and buildings. In 1925, the Lake Placid Club Education Foundation took over formal control of the school.
This transition brought the arrival of Robert W. Boyden as the school's new headmaster and also marked the end of the school's annual winter migration to Florida in order to, "secure continuity of educational effort and also to enrich the school life by the varied winter sports available for physical development."
1927–1944: Becoming Northwood
In 1927, Dr. Ira A. Flinner, who received his doctorate from
Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, was appointed headmaster, a position he would hold until 1951. Early in his tenure the school moved to its present location and adopted a new name, Northwood School. Under Flinner, Northwood continued to expand its physical plant and increase enrollment.
In 1934 Northwood School received its charter by the Regents of the State of New York, and was made a not for profit institution governed by a Board of Trustees.
1944–45: Hiatus
In the summer of 1944, the U.S. Army took over control of Northwood's buildings for use as a medical unit within the redeployment center in
Lake Placid, NY
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303.
The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsburgh. ...
. The school was closed until the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
relinquished control of the buildings. In the fall of 1946, Northwood reopened.
1946–1965: Re-opening and changes
Moreau C. Hunt became headmaster in 1951. John G. Howard took over for him in 1954. Howard brought updates to the school buildings and new courses in public speaking and debate. Under Howard, the school newspaper, ''The Mirror'', was elevated in stature and became a more formal and regularly released publication.
1965–1997: Continued growth, coeducation
In 1965, Edward C. Welles became headmaster. He was soon followed by W. John Friedlander in 1967, who served as the school's headmaster until 1996. Friedlander oversaw the school's continued expansion and its transition into a coeducational institution. Female students were first formally enrolled as day students in 1971, and then as boarding students in 1972.
1997–present
Edward M. Good took over as Northwood's headmaster in 1997. In 2015, Michael J. Maher, former head of
Berkshire School
Berkshire School is a private, co-ed boarding school for grades 9 through 12 located in Sheffield, Massachusetts, USA.
History
1907–1943: Founding and early years
Berkshire School (for boys) was established in 1907 at the foot of Mount Ever ...
, succeeded Good as Northwood's Head of School.
Notable alumni
*
Sam Faber
Samantha Faber (born May 8, 1987) is an American ice hockey player. Faber competed for the New Hampshire Wildcats women's ice hockey program in Hockey East. During the 2007–08 season, Faber set an NCAA record (since tied) for most game-winning ...
, professional ice hockey player
*
Konstanze Krüger, German zoologist
*
Mike Richter
Michael Thomas Richter (born September 22, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played his entire career with the New York Rangers organization, and led the team to the Stanley Cup in 1994. He also represented the Un ...
, professional ice hockey player
*
Martin Hyun, writer and professional ice hockey player
*
Andrew Weibrecht
Andrew Weibrecht (born February 10, 1986) is a World Cup alpine ski racer and two-time Olympic medalist from the United States.
Born in Lake Placid, New York, he grew up racing at nearby Whiteface Mountain. Weibrecht races in all five disciplin ...
, world cup and Olympic ski racer
*
Edward Platt
Edward Cuthbert Platt (February 14, 1916 – March 19, 1974) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the Chief in the 1965–70 NBC/CBS television series: ''Get Smart''. With his deep voice and mature appearance, he played an ...
, actor best known for playing ”The Chief” in the television show, ''
Get Smart
''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...
''
*
Andrea Kilbourne-Hill, Olympic ice hockey player
*Theodore Davidge Lockwood, former president of
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
*
Blake Bolden
Blake Alexis Bolden (born March 10, 1991) is an American ice hockey player and scout for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). On October 11, 2015, she became the first African-American player to compete in the National Women' ...
, professional ice hockey player
*
Tony Granato
Anthony Lewis Granato (born July 25, 1964) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger and current head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team. He served as head coach of the United States men's national ice hockey tea ...
, professional ice hockey player
*
Kelley Steadman
Kelley Steadman (born July 17, 1990) is an American retired ice hockey player, currently serving as an ice hockey development ambassador for Lightning Made, the community hockey department of the Tampa Bay Lightning. As a member of the United St ...
, professional ice hockey player
*
Tom Mellor, professional ice hockey player
*
Craig Conroy
Craig Michael Conroy (born September 4, 1971) is an American former professional ice hockey player and the current assistant general manager of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). A sixth-round selection of the Montreal Canadi ...
, professional ice hockey player
*
Steven Zalewski, professional ice hockey player
Notes
References
* Ackerman, David H. ''Lake Placid Club: An illustrated history: 1895-1980.'' Lake Placid Education Foundation, 1998. .
External links
Northwood School websiteBoarding School ReviewTABS Association of Boarding Schools Northwood Profile
{{authority control
1905 establishments in New York (state)
Boarding schools in New York (state)
Educational institutions established in 1905
Private high schools in New York (state)
Schools in Essex County, New York