St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)
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St. Paul's School (also known as St. Paul's or SPS) is a highly selective college- preparatory, coeducational
boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...
in
Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third larg ...
, affiliated with the Episcopal Church. It is often regarded as one of the most elite boarding schools in the United States. The school's , or 3.125 square mile, campus currently serves 539 students, who come from 40 states and 18 countries. Established in 1856 to educate boys from upper-class families, St. Paul's later became one of the first boys' boarding schools to admit girls and is now home to a diverse student body from all backgrounds. While the school accepted 15% of applicants for the 2020-21 academic year, its 2016–2019 graduates matriculated most at
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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,
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,
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,
Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
, Dartmouth, and Georgetown. Although annual tuition is $62,000, St. Paul's provides financial aid to 39% of its students and fully meets any admitted student's demonstrated financial need with an average award of $56,182. The school's endowment is valued at $631 million as of June 2019, ranking third among American boarding schools. The first
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
games in the United States were played at St. Paul's in the 1870s and the first squash court in the country was opened at the school in 1884. Home to the likes of
Hobey Baker Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker (January 15, 1892 – December 21, 1918) was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Considered the first American star in ice hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was also an accomplished Am ...
and Malcolm Gordon, the St. Paul's hockey team played and beat collegiate teams such as
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 ...
and
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nin ...
in the sport's early days. St. Paul's is a member of the Eight Schools Association and was formerly a member of the
Independent School League Independent School League or ISL may refer to: * Independent School League (Illinois), a group of nine Chicago-area preparatory schools * Independent School League (New England) The Independent School League (ISL) is composed of sixteen New Englan ...
, the oldest independent school athletic association in the United States. St. Paul's crew has won the
Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is a rowing event at Henley Royal Regatta open to school 1st VIIIs. History The event was instituted in 1946 for public schools in the United Kingdom. It was opened to entries from overseas in 1964, and th ...
at the
Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...
three times, the latest being in 2004. The school's list of notable alumni includes numerous US ambassadors, congressmen, senators,
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 ...
winners, a Secretary of State, and a
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, among others.


History

In 1856,
Harvard University 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 highe ...
-educated
physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
and
Boston Brahmin The Boston Brahmins or Boston elite are members of Boston's traditional upper class. They are often associated with Harvard University; Anglicanism; and traditional Anglo-American customs and clothing. Descendants of the earliest English coloni ...
George Cheyne Shattuck, inspired by the educational theories of
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (, ; 12 January 1746 – 17 February 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach. He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking ...
,"A Private-School Affair"
feature article by Alex Shoumatoff in ''
Vanity Fair (magazine) ''Vanity Fair'' is a monthly magazine of popular culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast in the United States. The first version of ''Vanity Fair'' was published from 1913 to 1936. The imprint was revived in 1983 and cu ...
'' January 2006, accessed August 21, 2015
turned his country home in the hamlet of Millville, New Hampshire, into a school for boys. Shattuck wanted his boys educated in the austere, bucolic countryside. A newly appointed board of trustees chose Henry Coit, a 24-year-old clergyman, to preside over the school for its first 39 years.Hecksher, August. ''A Brief History of St. Paul's: 1856–1996''. Concord, New Hampshire: The Board of Trustees of St. Paul's School, © 1996. In addition to Shattuck's two boys and Coit and his wife, there was one other student.Khan, Shamus Rahman (2010-12-28). ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School'' (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology) (p. 11). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition. "Coit died in 1895, firmly at the helm until his final days. By the end of his forty-year tenure, St. Paul's had a faculty of 35 and a student body of 345." The original location was 50 acres, but over the years surrounding lands were acquired.Khan, Shamus Rahman (2010-12-28). ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School'': (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition. Throughout the latter half of the 19th century, the school expanded. In the 1870s, the first
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
games in the U.S. were played on the Lower Pond. During the infancy of ice hockey in the United States, the school established itself as a powerhouse that often played and beat collegiate teams at
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 ...
and
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 ...
. Its Lower School Pond once held nine hockey rinks. In 1884, it built the first squash courts in America. Both ice hockey and squash were introduced to the school by James Potter Conover, one of the most celebrated athletes of his time in the United States, who had also competed for
Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...
during his time as a student there. By 1895, when Coit died, the school had 35 teachers and 345 students. In 1910,
Samuel Smith Drury Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bi ...
took over as rector. Drury, who had served as a missionary in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, found St. Paul's in almost all aspects — student body, faculty, and curriculum — severely lacking a serious commitment to academic pursuits and moral upstandingness. Accordingly, he presided over, among other things, the hiring of better teachers, the tightening of academic standards, and the dissolution of secret societies and their replacement with a student council. Drury also presided over the school throughout the 1920s and 1930s during what August Hecksher called its " Augustan era". The first faculty and students of color arrived at the school in 1957 and 1959, respectively. The following decade ushered in a turbulent period for St. Paul's. In 1968, students wrote an acerbic manifesto describing the school administration as an oppressive regime. As a result of this manifesto, seated meals were reduced from three times a day to four times a week, courses were shortened to be terms (rather than years) long, Chapel was reduced to four times a week, and the school's grading system was changed to eliminate + and - grades (re-introduced in 2016) and given its current High Honors, Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Unsatisfactory labels instead of A–F. By the end of the sixties, St. Paul's had begun to admit sizable numbers of minorities in every class, had secularized its previously strict religious schedule considerably, expanded its course offerings, and was poised to begin
coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
. It admitted girls for the first time in 1971, becoming one of the first boys' boarding schools to do so. The Arts program was also expanded in the early seventies, while the interdisciplinary Humanities curriculum was introduced in the early nineties. A new library, designed by Robert A. M. Stern and Carroll Cline, opened in 1991; a $24 million, 95,000 sq. ft. Athletic & Fitness Center opened in 2004. The school celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2006. The new $50 million science and math building — the Lindsay Center — opened in fall 2011. The former visual arts center, the Hargate Building, underwent construction until 2017 to become the new Friedman Community Center in a $9 million renovation project. The modern school, in addition to students drawn from the highest levels of American society and international elites, serves a diverse body of students from all backgrounds."It has an intentional diversity that few communities share or can afford. Sitting next to a poor Hispanic boy from the Bronx— who forty years ago would never have been admitted— is a frighteningly self-possessed girl from one of the richest WASP families in the world." Khan, Shamus Rahman (2010-12-28). ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School'': (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology) . Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition. File:New Upper School Building, Saint Paul's School (3678170469).jpg, The Upper School c. 1905 File:Chapel, Saint Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire (3678972786).jpg, Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul c. early 20th century File:St. Paul's School (New Hampshire) in 1890 01.jpg, Students on the ice of Lower School Pond, 1890 File:St. Paul's School (New Hampshire) in 1890 08.jpg, Students playing leap frog outside the Big Study, 1890 File:St. Paul's School, Concord, The Lower School, by Kimball, W. G. C. (Willis G. C.), 1843-1916.png, "The Lower School" File:St. Paul's School, Concord, The Chapel, by Kimball, W. G. C. (Willis G. C.), 1843-1916.jpg, "The ldChapel" File:St. Paul's School, Concord, Dining Room at the School, by Kimball, W. G. C. (Willis G. C.), 1843-1916.jpg, "Dining Room at the School"


Facilities

The school's rural campus is familiarly known as "Millville", after a now-abandoned mill whose relic still stands in the woods near the Lower School Pond. The overwhelming majority of the land comprises wild and wooded areas. The campus itself includes four
pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from tha ...
s and the upper third of the Turkey River. There are 19 dorms, nine boys', nine girls', and one all-gender, which each house between 20 and 40 students and are vertically integrated: every dorm has members of all four forms. The architecture of the dormitories varies from the
Collegiate Gothic Collegiate Gothic is an architectural style subgenre of Gothic Revival architecture, popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries for college and high school buildings in the United States and Canada, and to a certain extent Europ ...
style of the "Quad" dorms (built in 1927) to the spare,
modern Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...
style of the Kittredge building (built in the early 1970s). Classes are held in five buildings: language and humanities classes meet in the Schoolhouse; math and science classes in the Lindsay Family Center for Mathematics and Science; visual arts in the Fine Arts Building; music and ballet classes in the Oates Performing Arts Center; and theater classes, in the New Space
black box theater A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...
. The Schoolhouse, Moore and the Lindsay Center form a quadrangle, along with Memorial Hall, the 600-seat theater used for all-school gatherings not suited to the chapel space. Lindsay Center contains a greenhouse and an observatory. Overlooking the Lower School Pond, the Ohrstrom Library was remodeled in 2016 and is now home to 75,000 print books and almost half a million
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. A ...
s in its digital archive, "putting the School archives on par with some of the country’s major universities." Perhaps the focal point of the campus is the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul, constructed between 1886 and 1888, also known as the New Chapel. There is an Old Chapel, used only for ceremonial events as it is too small now to accommodate the entire faculty and student body."The old chapel is one of the most beautiful spaces on campus: in the middle of the grounds, intimate, and too small to house the whole student body." Khan, Shamus Rahman (2010-12-28). ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School:'' (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology) (pp. 74-75). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.


Dormitories


Boys' dormitories

*Armour (1914): Given by his parents in memory of Edmund Armour (Form of 1917), who died while a student, Armour House was in its day the most modern medical facility in the region, complete with operating rooms. It was renovated in 1996 to house 29 students and three faculty families. *Coit North — located in Coit (1902): Originally the Upper School, it was renamed by the trustees in May 1995 for the First Rector, the Rev. Henry A. Coit. The three separate houses are now called Coit North, Coit Center, and Coit Wing. It was primarily a Sixth Form dormitory until 1965. The School's kitchens were consolidated here in 1962, and two more dining rooms were opened in 1968. *Drury (1939): Named for the Rev. Samuel S. Drury, Fourth Rector, it has been both a boys' and a girls' dormitory. Additional faculty apartments were added in 1994. *Foster (1901): Originally built as his home by Vice Rector William H. Foster (Form of 1881), master 1883–1928; it became a dormitory in 1929. *Kittredge I — located in Kittredge (1971): Named in memory of Henry C. Kittredge, Sixth Rector, this dormitory was designed with alcoves for First and Second Formers and was converted in 1973 when the Lower School was phased out. The architect was Edward L. Barnes. *Manville (1926): Renovated during the summer of 1997, it is one of the four identical "Quad" dormitories designed by Charles Z. Klauder. Originally housing Third and Fourth Formers and dedicated in October 1927, it was the gift of H. E. Manville. Over its entrance is an owl, representing wisdom. *Middle (1955): This dormitory was built on the site of the old Middle, a wooden building that in 1865 was the Lower School but had earlier been the Moses Shute Cottage, a farmhouse. Was used as a girls' dormitory until 2015. *Nash (1915): Originally built as the Lower School Study, it became a home for the Art Department in the early 1960s. In 1965 it was converted to a dormitory in memory of the Rev. Norman B. Nash, Fifth Rector. A large common room was added in 1994. *Simpson (1926): The fourth of the "Quad" buildings designed by Charles Z. Klauder, it was the gift of James Simpson and has a pelican, symbol of loyalty, over its entrance. It was renovated in 1997.


Girls' dormitories

*Brewster (1926): Renovated during the summer of 1996, it is one of four buildings designed by Charles Z. Klauder (Ford, Manville, and Simpson being the other three) that make up the Quadrangle. It was a gift of George S. Brewster (Form of 1886) and Robert S. Brewster (Form of 1893). Over its entrance is a rooster, representing alertness. *Coit Center — located in Coit (1902): ''See "Coit North" above.'' *Coit Wing — located in Coit (1902): ''See "Coit North" above.'' *Conover/Twenty (1961): Two of three dormitories designed as a unit by Edward L. Barnes. Conover was named after the Rev. James P. Conover (Form of 1876), master 1882–1915. Twenty was named after an earlier dormitory that housed 20 boys. *Ford (1926): The gift of Emory M. Ford (Form of 1924) and for many years a Third and Fourth Form dormitory, it is one of the four "Quad" houses designed by Charles Z. Klauder. Over its entrance is an eagle, representing courage. It was renovated during the summer of 1997. *Kehaya (1993): The gift of Helga and Ery W. Kehaya (Form of 1942), it opened as a girls' dormitory in January 1994. *Kittredge II — located in Kittredge (1971): ''See "Kittredge I" above.'' *Kittredge III — located in Kittredge (1971): ''See "Kittredge I" above.'' *Warren (1918): Originally known as Friendly House, built to accommodate female employees, it was converted to a girls' dormitory in 1988 and named in memory of the Rev. Matthew M. Warren, Seventh Rector. Was later used as a boys' dormitory until 2015.


All-gender dormitory

*Warren I : ''See "Warren" above.''


Daily life

St. Paul's operates on a six-day school week, Monday through Saturday. Wednesdays and Saturdays, however, are half-days, with athletic games or practices in the afternoons. The school has four grades, known at St. Paul's as "forms". For example, "Third Form" corresponds to ninth grade, up through "Sixth Form", which corresponds to twelfth grade. For Paulies, as St. Paul's students are colloquially known, the four full days each week begin with Chapel. The mandatory
interfaith Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...
half-hour meeting involves a reading, speech or music presentation, and community-wide announcements. St. Paul's conducts its Humanities classes using the Harkness method, which encourages discussion between students and the teacher, and between students. The average class size according to the school's website is 10–12 students. Rather than having physical education classes, St. Paul's requires all its students to play sports. These sports range from the internationally competing crew to intramural hockey. Throughout the fall, winter, and spring terms, students attend twelve seated meals, at which formal attire is required. Seven students and a faculty member are randomly assigned to each table for a family-style dinner, and the table is excused only after everyone has eaten. In the winter, students have dinner with their advisers and advisee groups (a group of 5–6 students are assigned a faculty member to be their adviser), either at the adviser's home or at the Upper Dining Hall. The school supplies money for one meal in town. In the evenings, meetings are held for clubs and activities, music ensembles like the chorus and band, theater rehearsals, ''
a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
'' groups (the all-male Testostertones, the all-female Mad Hatters, and the co-ed Deli Line), the debate team, and other extracurriculars.


Athletics

Malcolm Gordon coached
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
at the school for 29 years, and noted
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
fighter pilot
Hobey Baker Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker (January 15, 1892 – December 21, 1918) was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Considered the first American star in ice hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was also an accomplished Am ...
played under him. The first squash courts in the United States were built at St. Paul's in 1884. St. Paul's, and Concord, New Hampshire,'Concord, N.H., Revisiting a Pond Hockey Legacy'
article by Brion O’Connor in ''
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 ...
'' January 25, 2011, accessed August 24, 2015
were early cradles for
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
in America. By some accounts, the first hockey game in the United States was played on Lower School Pond November 17, 1883. The school was an established leader in the sport in the early 20th century, playing and beating collegiate teams, including
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 ...
New York Times: 'St. Paul's Beats Harvard at Hockey', 12 Feb 1908 and
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nin ...
.New York Times: 'SCHOOLBOY SEVEN OUTPLAYS NASSAUS; St. Paul's Hockey Team Scores Victory by 9 to 1 at St. Nicholas Rink', 21 December 1917 St. Paul's crew won the
Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is a rowing event at Henley Royal Regatta open to school 1st VIIIs. History The event was instituted in 1946 for public schools in the United Kingdom. It was opened to entries from overseas in 1964, and th ...
at the
Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...
in 1980, 1994 and again in 2004. The athletic directors of St. Paul's and the other members of the Eight Schools Association compose the Eight Schools Athletic Council, which organizes sports events and tournaments among ESA schools. St. Paul's was also a member of the Independent School League (ISL) until 2017. The school announced the decision to withdraw from the ISL in 2016 due to league bylaws surrounding scholarships. Since the 2017–18 academic year, the school competes in the Six Schools League (SSL) with Choate, Deerfield,
Northfield Mount Hermon Northfield Mount Hermon School, often called NMH, is a co-educational preparatory school in Gill, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association. Present day NMH offers nearly 200 courses, including AP and ...
,
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, and
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
. Additionally, the school competes in the Lakes Region League with
Proctor Academy Proctor Academy is a Mixed-sex education, coeducational, independent University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in Andover, New Hampshire. There are about 370 students. History Origin Proctor Academ ...
,
New Hampton School New Hampton School is an independent college preparatory high school in New Hampton, New Hampshire, United States. It has 305 students from over 30 states and 22 countries. The average class size is eleven, and the student-faculty ratio is five ...
,
Kimball Union Academy Kimball Union Academy is a private boarding school located in New Hampshire. Founded in 1813, it is the 22nd oldest boarding school in the United States. The academy's mission is to "create a deep sense of belonging for every member of our communi ...
, Tilton School, Holderness School, Vermont Academy, The White Mountain School, and Brewster Academy.


Culture


Religion

St. Paul's is an Episcopal school, although mandatory services are now
non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...
. There is a school prayer:"Grant, O Lord, that in all the joys of life, we may never forget to be kind. Help us to be unselfish in friendship, thoughtful of those less happy than ourselves, and eager to bear the burdens of others. Through Jesus Christ our Savior, Amen."The School Prayer
PDF file from the website of the school, accessed August 22, 2015
There is an on campus Jewish organization serving faculty and students of that religion.


Socialization

According to
Shamus Khan Shamus Rahman Khan (born October 8, 1978) is an American sociologist. He is a professor of sociology and American Studies at Princeton University. Formerly he served as chair of the sociology department at Columbia University. He writes on elites ...
, author of ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School'' (2010) and a sociologist who is a St. Paul's alumnus, students are socialized to function as privileged holders of power and status in an open society. Privilege in
meritocracy Meritocracy (''merit'', from Latin , and ''-cracy'', from Ancient Greek 'strength, power') is the notion of a political system in which economic goods and/or political power are vested in individual people based on talent, effort, and achiev ...
is acquired through talent, hard work, and a wide variety of cultural and social experiences.
Economic inequality There are wide varieties of economic inequality, most notably income inequality measured using the distribution of income (the amount of money people are paid) and wealth inequality measured using the distribution of wealth (the amount of ...
and
social inequality Social inequality occurs when resources in a given society are distributed unevenly, typically through norms of allocation, that engender specific patterns along lines of socially defined categories of persons. It posses and creates gender c ...
are explained by the lack of talent, hard work, and limited cultural and social experience of the less privileged. Thus high status is earned, not based on entitlement.Page 16, ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School'',
Shamus Khan Shamus Rahman Khan (born October 8, 1978) is an American sociologist. He is a professor of sociology and American Studies at Princeton University. Formerly he served as chair of the sociology department at Columbia University. He writes on elites ...
. "From this perspective, inequality is explained not by the practices of the elite but instead by the character of the disadvantaged."
According to Khan, "Today what is distinct among the elite is not their exclusivity but their ease within and broad acceptance of a more open world.""Today what is distinct among the elite is not their exclusivity but their ease within and broad acceptance of a more open world." Khan, Shamus Rahman (2010-12-28). ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School'': (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology) (p. 19). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
Hierarchy A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...
is embedded in the rituals and traditions of the school from the first day. According to Khan, the student advances up the ladder of the hierarchy embedded in the culture of the school."Through their daily sitting in the Chapel and countless other formal and informal experiences at the school, students are taught that the world is a hierarchical place and that different people are placed in different spaces within this hierarchy." Khan, Shamus Rahman (2010-12-28). ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School:'' (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology) (p. 28). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.


Traditions

St. Paul's is home to many long-standing traditions. Near the start of the school year, the Rector announces a surprise holiday — Cricket Holiday — in morning Chapel. Classes are canceled for the day and the Rector leads new students and faculty on a tour of the woods surrounding the School. Tuesdays are generally preferred for the holiday by the Rector as students who leave the grounds are forced to return by the start time of Seated Meal or Advisee Dinner. The tradition dates back to the first Rector, Henry Augustus Coit, who preferred
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
over
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
as a "more refined sport". During February, the Missionary Society (the school's community service organization) plans and announces Mish Holiday. The holiday is announced the day before, the evening is given over to a theme dance, and the next day is a day off from school. The Missionary Society has used extravagant stunts to announce the holiday, including, in the past, fireworks over the Lower School Pond and a plane trailing a "Happy Mish!" banner. Students at St. Paul's are assigned to one of three "clubs" for their time at St. Paul's — "Isthmian," "Delphian" or "Old Hundred". Those who participate in "club sports" (intramural) play for their club. Students who participate in crew are also assigned to one of two "Boat Clubs" – "Halcyon" or "Shattuck". Descendants of graduates are assigned to the same clubs as their relatives. The annual Inter-House Inter-Club Race, known among students as the "Dorm Run," but now officially named the "Charles B. Morgan Run", takes place late in Fall Term, usually in early to mid-November. Students are invited to earn points for their dorm and club by running in a cross country race. The current student record is 9:48, set in 2006 by Peter Harrison '07. During a weekend in the Fall Term, the Student Council holds Fall Ball, a dinner/dance known among students as the Cocktails. On the same night, there is a talent show that focuses on fifth formers (eleventh graders). Fifth former MCs are selected by their form representatives to host the show. During the Winter Term, the school holds the annual Fiske Cup Competition. Each participating dorm produces a student-directed and performed play. Most plays are held in dorm common rooms. In the Spring Term, St. Paul's holds a school-wide public speaking contest called the Hugh Camp Cup. The finalists' speeches are delivered before the entire school, and the student body votes on a winner, whose name is engraved on the prize. Alumnus
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
achieved this distinction during his sixth form year. On the last night of the term, students gather in the Chapel at 9 p.m. for the Last Night service. At the Last Night service for Spring Term, the last night of school before summer vacation, the faculty lines up outside the Chapel after the service and students shake hands with every member as they exit. On the Sixth Formers' last night on campus, they gather as a class in the Old Chapel. At the conclusion of the service, the rest of the student body waits outside to congratulate them and say their goodbyes. During Anniversary Weekend, held on the first weekend of June, alumni converge on the school for get-togethers, reunions, and the annual Alumni Parade. Each form (class) marches down Chapel Road in chronological order, starting with the oldest living alumni. In the back of this long column is the about-to-graduate Sixth Form. St. Paul's students once had a close relationship with
jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational " jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often ...
s like the
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...
. Some of the slang peculiar to St. Paul's originated as the "Pyramid Dialect" among St. Paul's students and alumni who followed the
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...
's 1978 shows in Egypt.
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike G ...
played in the Upper Dining Hall on May 19, 1990. American electro house artist
Steve Aoki Steven Hiroyuki Aoki (, ; born November 30, 1977), best known as Steve Aoki, is an American DJ, record producer, music programmer, and record executive.
performed in the school's Athletic & Fitness Center on April 9, 2015.


Advanced Studies Program

St. Paul's School founded the summer Advanced Studies Program in 1957 to provide juniors from public and parochial New Hampshire high schools with challenging educational opportunities. The students live and study at the St. Paul's campus for five and a half weeks and are immersed in their subject of choice. Recent offerings have included astronomy and Shakespeare. In addition to the course load, students choose a daily extracurricular activity or sport to participate in four afternoons per week. The program had a 37% admission rate in 2010. In 2014, 267 students from 78 high schools participated in the Advanced Studies Program. According to its website, "The Advanced Studies Program is committed to educating the whole person and preparing students to make contributions to a changing and challenging world. ASP defines education as all of the structured experiences in which students participate: course work, athletics, extracurricular activities, and residential life. These opportunities involve valuable interaction between faculty, interns, house advisers, and students."


Controversies


Historical sexual misconduct

In May 2017, the school issued a report, led by former
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Attorney General
Scott Harshbarger Luther Scott Harshbarger (born December 1, 1941) is an American attorney and Democratic politician. He served as the 56th Massachusetts Attorney General from 1991 to 1999. In 1998, he was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Massachusetts but ...
, detailing sexual misconduct by 13 former faculty and staff members (including Gerry Studds) that occurred between 1948 and 1988. The report did not focus on any allegations that occurred after 1988. Sexual misconduct documented in the report covered assaults, harassments, and
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...
. One student who contacted ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'', but not the people conducting the report said, "It's not a complete accounting. It's nowhere close." Any further historical allegations are reported by an independent overseer. In July 2020, author Lacy Crawford published her memoir of being raped as a 15-year-old student on campus, and the school's subsequent cover-up.


Claims of financial misappropriation

Craig B. Anderson, the Episcopal bishop who was St. Paul's rector for eight years, retired under pressure in May 2005 after a campaign by parents and alumni that criticized his management of school finances and investments. Anderson had severely cut back on school expenses while simultaneously being quite liberal with his own compensation and perks."...as staff positions were cut to save money, Anderson enriched himself, raising his salary from around $180,000 to $530,000." Khan, Shamus Rahman (2010-12-28). ''Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School:'' (Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology) (p. 39). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition. There was an investigation by the Attorney General of New Hampshire that resulted in a settlement agreement and an audit by the IRS.


"Senior Salute" rape allegations and trial

The "Senior Salute", a supposed ceremony in which seniors would proposition younger classmates for sexual encounters before graduation, was in the news in 2015, when a former student was charged with the rape of a 15-year-old freshman, Chessy Prout. A St. Paul's student, Owen Labrie, was charged with several counts of felony sex assault, misdemeanor sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and using a computer to solicit or lure a child under the age of 16. On August 28, 2015, Labrie was found guilty on three counts of statutory rape and one count of endangering the welfare of a child and one felony count of using a computer to lure a minor. On October 29, 2015, he was sentenced to a year in jail and five years of probation and is required to register as a sex offender. The
New Hampshire Supreme Court The New Hampshire Supreme Court is the supreme court of the U. S. state of New Hampshire and sole appellate court of the state. The Supreme Court is seated in the state capital, Concord. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associat ...
unanimously denied Labrie's first appeal of his conviction in November 2018. A second appeal, in which Labrie claimed ineffective assistance of legal counsel at trial, was unanimously denied in June 2019. A confidential settlement was reached with the victim. In June 2019, Labrie was released early from a 12-month sentence due to good behavior and the New Hampshire Supreme Court unanimously denied his appeal for a new trial. Chessy Prout, with the help of Jenn Abelson, an investigative reporter for ''The Boston Globe'', published her memoir of the incident, ''I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor's Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope'', on March 6, 2018.


Criminal investigation by Attorney General

In July 2017, the
New Hampshire Attorney General The Attorney General of New Hampshire is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of New Hampshire who serves as head of the New Hampshire Department of Justice. , the state's attorney general is John Formella. Qualifications and appointment Un ...
, with assistance from
Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
police and the New Hampshire State Police, started a criminal investigation into the school to determine whether administrators engaged in conduct that endangered the welfare of students. In 2018, the state AG reached a settlement agreement with the school to avoid criminal prosecution. In 2020, the overseer of the settlement abruptly resigned, citing verbal abuse and obstruction by the school of his ongoing investigations.


Notable alumni


Notable faculty

*
James Milnor Coit James Milnor Coit (January 31, 1845 – 1925) was an American teacher and scientist. He was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and educated at Hobart College. He was connected for some time with the Cleveland Tube Works. In 1876, he became mast ...
, teacher * George A. Gordon, United States Ambassador to
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and s ...
and the
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* Richard Lederer, English teacher, author and compiler of humorous errors in the use of the English language * Gerry Studds, who later served as U.S. congressman from
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
* John T. Walker, first African-American Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C. * John Gilbert Winant, governor of New Hampshire; ambassador to Great Britain during World War II


See also

*
Boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...
*
College-preparatory school A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher educat ...
*
Saint Grottlesex The term ''Saint Grottlesex'' refers to several American prep boarding schools in New England. These schools have historically sent their graduates to the nation's most prestigious universities. All the schools are members of the Independent School ...
, a colloquial expression for several of the area's prep schools


References


Footnotes


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire Boarding schools in New Hampshire Private high schools in New Hampshire Co-educational boarding schools Independent School League Episcopal schools in the United States Preparatory schools in New Hampshire Schools in Concord, New Hampshire Educational institutions established in 1856 1856 establishments in New Hampshire Schools in Merrimack County, New Hampshire School sexual abuse scandals Six Schools League