Loomis Chaffee School

The Loomis Chaffee School (; LC or Loomis) is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, including postgraduate students, located in Windsor, Connecticut, seven miles north of Hartford. As of the 2024-25 school year, 70 percent of Loomis Chaffee's 742 students reside on the school's 300-acre campus and represent 51 foreign countries and 27 U.S. states; the remaining 30 percent are day students.

Founded in 1914, Loomis Chaffee is a member of the Ten Schools Admission Organization.

History

The school was chartered in 1874 as The Loomis Institute by five Loomis siblings, who were determined to turn tragedy into generosity after all of their own children died before the age of 21. The original 1640 Loomis Homestead was chosen as the site for the school, which opened in 1914. The forty-year gap between chartering and the opening of the school was due to the estate of the Loomis siblings being reserved for the siblings' retirement.

In 1910, John Mason Loomis's widow left over $1.1 million as an endowment to The Loomis Institute for charitable purposes. Together We Served.com, Essay This donation allowed the school to remain tuition-free for its first four decades. In addition to being tuition-free, The Loomis Institute was distinguished from other New England preparatory schools by its lack of religious affiliation, offering of vocational education alongside college preparatory courses, and admission of both boys and girls.

The Loomis Institute ended coeducation in 1926 when The Chaffee School was incorporated to educate girls on an adjacent campus. In 1970, the boys and girls schools merged to form The Loomis Chaffee School. Since then, the school has expanded as its endowment, financial aid budget, faculty, and campus increased in size. Loomis had an acceptance rate of 17% for the 2023–2024 school year.

Overview

Academics

Loomis Chaffee serves students from grades 9-12, as well as post-graduate students. Loomis offers 250 courses, 70 of which are classified as advanced or college-level. The average class size is 12 students with a 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Athletics

Loomis Chaffee competes in sports against schools from all over New England and adjacent states. The school is a member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) and competes in the Class A large school division. Additionally, Loomis is a member of The Founders League which comprises private schools located mainly in Connecticut.

Heads of school

* (1914–1949): Nathaniel Horton Batchelder
* (1949–1952): William Speer
* (1952–1967): Francis Olmsted Grubbs
* (1967–1976): Frederick G. Torrey
* (1976–1996): John Ratté
* (1996–2008): Russell H. Weigel
* (2008–2024): Sheila Culbert
* (2024–Present): Jody Reilly Soja

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

Writer John Horne Burns taught at Loomis and wrote several books while there.

René Cheruy served for many years as head of the French department, as well as a member of the visual arts department.

See also

* John Mason Loomis – American lumber tycoon and Union colonel during the American Civil War, and one of the Loomis family financiers and co-founders of the Loomis Institute
* James Chaffee Loomis – American lawyer, politician, and co-founder of the Loomis Institute
* Osbert Burr Loomis – American portrait painter and co-founder of the Loomis Institute

References

External links

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Boarding schools in Connecticut
Educational institutions established in 1914
Preparatory schools in Connecticut
Private high schools in Connecticut
Schools in Hartford County, Connecticut
Windsor, Connecticut
1914 establishments in Connecticut
Ten Schools Admission Organization