Miss Porter's School

Miss Porter's School (MPS) is a private college preparatory school for girls founded in 1843 in Farmington, Connecticut. The school draws students from many of the 50 U.S. states, as well as from abroad. International students comprised 14% in the 2017–2018 year. The average class size was 10 students in 2017.

History

Early history and Sarah Porter

Miss Porter's School was established in 1843 by education reformer Sarah Porter. She was insistent that the school's curriculum include chemistry, physiology, botany, geology, and astronomy in addition to the more traditional subjects taught in girls' schools. Also encouraged were such athletic opportunities as tennis and horseback riding; in 1867, the school formed its own baseball team, the Tunxises, named after the Saukiog tribe who once settled the area on which the school is situated.

Founding and Early Years (1843–1903)

In 1884, Sarah Porter hired her former student, Mary Elizabeth Dunning Dow, with whom she began to share more of her duties as head of school. From then until her death in 1900, Porter gradually relinquished her control of the school to Dow.

Sarah Porter's will named her nephew, Robert Porter Keep, as executor of her estate, of which the school was the most valuable asset. Dow's compensation for her position as sole head of school was also specified in the will. As executor, Robert Keep began extensive repairs and renovations to the school. While Dow continued to receive a salary as per Porter's will, she became convinced that Keep, in diverting the school's income to pay for construction, was enriching his inheritance with funds that were rightfully hers. The conflict escalated and culminated in Dow's resignation in 1903. She moved to Briarcliff, New York, taking with her as many as 140 students and 16 faculty members, and began Mrs. Dow's School for Girls, which would become Briarcliff Junior College, absorbed in 1977 into Pace University.

Leadership Transitions (1903–1943)

Robert Keep announced in July 1903 that the school would reopen in October 1903 with his wife, Elizabeth Vashti Hale Keep as head of school, 11 teachers, and between five and 16 students in attendance. After Keep died on July 3, 1904, Elizabeth Keep continued to work at the school. One of her many legacies was a kindergarten for children of employees.

When Mrs. Keep died in 1917, leadership of the school passed to her stepson, Robert Porter Keep, Jr., a German teacher at Phillips Academy. From 1917 until the school's centennial celebrations in 1943, his wife and he remained heads of school at Miss Porter's.

Modernization and Growth (1943–2000)

The school was incorporated as a nonprofit institution in 1943, emphasizing its purpose as a college preparatory school rather than a finishing school. Also in 1943, the school ended the tradition of hiring heads of school from the Porter family, instead selecting Ward L. Johnson and his wife Katharine.

Ward Lamb Johnson had been the headmaster of the Lawrence School for 22 years when his wife and he joined the Farmington community in 1943. He retired 11 years later. During their tenure, Leila Dilworth Jones '44 Memorial Library was opened. They also increased faculty housing. The ''MPS Bulletin'' stated: "by the early 1950s the scholastic standing of Miss Porter's was among the highest in the country."

Mary Norris (née Frick) French and her husband Hollis Stratton French served as co-principals of the school from 1954 to 1966.

In 1966, then headmaster of The Buffalo Seminary Richard W. Davis was selected to be headmaster at Miss Porter's. He was to free the school of its "reputation of being too restrictive and too conservative." His appointment marked the first time in a half-century that the school would be directed by one person instead of a couple. Reflecting on his tenure at the school, Davis recalled, "We no longer required that girls wear head coverings in bad weather. We allowed pants to be worn, neat ones, to classes, but not to the dining room. We gradually dropped the requirement that all meals were 'sit-down', with assigned seating. The changes did not come all at once, yet each one brought some dissent. Certain faculty members felt that standards were slipping."

Having arrived in Farmington in 1967, also from The Buffalo Seminary (like Davis), Warren 'Skip' Hance quickly took on administrative roles in addition to teaching history. First he was department chair and then director of development. There followed the appointment to be assistant headmaster, and then to be the ninth Head of Miss Porter's School.

Immediately prior to her service as Miss Porter's head of school, Belash had been vice president at First National Bank of Boston. A native of Wales, an accomplished cellist, and holding a Ph.D. in Spanish literature, Belash was inaugurated 10th head of Miss Porter's School for a term beginning in 1983. She was devoted to renewing single-sex education for girls and spoke widely on the topic, as well as writing for ''The New York Times''. One report called her a "visionary".

In July 1992, Marianna "Muffin" Mead O'Brien began her term as head of school, following Belash's abrupt resignation at the end of June, and having served the school in years prior on the board of trustees from 1976 to 1983, and, respectively, as parent to three alumnae. Drawing on her experience of 25 years at the Groton School, during which she had "helped start the coeducation program, taught history, tutored reading, and was in the human relations and sexuality counseling faculty," O'Brien served a one-year term between the Belash and Ford administrations.

M. Burch Tracy Ford was dean of students at Milton Academy and a residential counselor at the Groton School before coming to Miss Porter's. In 1994, she wrote in a letter to the editor of ''The New York Times'', that “Coed classrooms are the norm, but the norm does not serve girls well; it needs to be challenged, and ultimately changed. Single-sex education is counterculture, but it's good for girls.” Ford oversaw the launch of the Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholarship Fund at Miss Porter's, offered through the Oprah Winfrey Foundation. Memorialized in ''The Boston Globe'' by her husband and crew coach Brian Ford, “She was determined that Miss Porter's was going to compete on an even level with every school in the country. And she felt that having decent, competitive sports was one element of that.”

21st-Century Developments (2000–present)

Since 2009, the head of school has been Katherine Windsor, who draws on her experience running the Center for Talented Youth program at Johns Hopkins University and the Sage School in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Her tenure as head of school has seen the school instantiate its partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education's Independent School Teaching Residency program.

In late May 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Windsor presided over virtual graduation exercises.

Finances

Tuition and financial aid

The tuition for boarding students was valued at $66,825 for 2021–22, plus other mandatory and optional fees. Miss Porter's offers need-based financial aid.

Endowment

The Dorothy Walker Bush 1919 Fund was established in 1994 in her memory by family and friends to bring speakers to the school who address religion, spirituality, and faith. The Emily Brown Fritzinger '59 Music Fund was established by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gardner Brown (Elizabeth Smith 1928), family, and friends; the fund supports musical performances on campus and occasional trips to New York City for all students and faculty to attend a live performance. The Elisabeth S. Hadden '76 Memorial Fund was established in 1976 in her memory by family and friends to support the annual Haggis Baggis poetry reading. The Kalat Fund for National and International Resources was established by Virginia Lowry Kalat '39, in honor of her 45th Reunion. The Geri Mullis '69 Memorial Poetry Fund was established in 1994 by the members of the Class of 1969 in honor of their 25th Reunion to bring a guest artist to campus. The Prescott Program Fund was established in 1961 by Marjorie Wiggin Prescott (class of 1911) to bring distinguished visiting lecturers and performers to the School. The Suzannah Ryan Wilkie '53 and Janet Norton Bilkey '53 "Wilkie-Bilkey" Program was established in 1988 by the Class of 1953 in honor of their 35th Reunion to support an annual performance from the world of dance or drama or other live performance. The Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholarship Fund, offered through the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, provides financial aid to students based on academic performance and leadership. One scholarship beneficiary presented her benefactor with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2011 Governors Awards hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

As of 2022, the school's endowment was estimated at $142.3 million.

Campus

A banner hanging in a themed guest room in the Timothy Cowles House, at Miss Porter's School, gives insight into how Porter's girls lived during the mid-1900s.
Studio Building at Miss Porter's School

The 40-acre campus overlooking the Farmington River includes buildings with historical significance, and the school has transformed to suit its needs over the years. The campus is divided into academic, residential, and athletic spaces, all designed to support student life and learning.

Academic facilities

* Main House, Originally built in 1830 as the Union Hotel, this building became part of the school in 1848 and now serves as the central hub for student life, dining, and administration. Its front door is depicted on the school's official seal.
*M. Burch Tracy Ford Library A modern academic resource housing over 22,000 volumes, digital archives, and study spaces, supporting the school’s college-preparatory curriculum.
* Ann Whitney Olin Arts and Science Center is the main building for mathematics, science, and arts. Studio art labs include a painting and ceramics studio, each with ceilings and of windows, as separated, respectively, by a textiles lab and a digital media lab, while the lower level of the facility counts as home the department's photography classroom and darkroom; all with full wheelchair-access accreditations. The renovation and expansion of this building was designed by Tai Soo Kim.

Athletic facilities

* The Colgate Wellness Center, situated on the west side of Main Street just south of Porter Road, is an eight-bed licensed infirmary, wholly Ancient-run in its medical and counseling capacities, and itself having been remodeled in recent years to extend the space and streamline student access; known to generations past as Erastus Gay House, or Little Gay for its proximity and size relative the Julius Gay House, itself known alternatively as Weekend House.
* The Student Recreation Center, designed by Tai Soo Kim and built in 1991, includes the Wean Student Center (a gift of the Raymond John Wean Foundation) and Crisp Gymnasium, with an elevated running track, a weight and exercise room, an athletic training room, and four once-standard squash courts, the court space of which has since been repurposed to accommodate a collective of Concept2 machines, a free weight room, and a climbing wall. The school's squash program has a permanent home elsewhere on campus.
* The Mellon Gymnasium, designed by Maxwell Moore and built in 1962 as part of the theater-gymnasium complex, was a gift of the Richard King Mellon Foundation. It is home to Varsity badminton in the fall, JV and Thirds basketball in the winter, and is the designated indoor practice space for Varsity and JV Softball in the spring. It is also the official home of the Minks, Possums, and Squirrels, intramural rivalries that feature prominently the week leading up to the Welcome Tradition; outside of the complex, there is a statue for each of the three teams. In a space adjacent to the gym, the Barbara Lang Hacker '29 Theater is home to the Players/Mandolin Performance Troupe.
* The Gaines Dance Barn, known to generations past as the Play Barn, built ca. 1941 and remodeled in 1993, is the facility, ostensibly located at 64 Main Street, and which serves as both rehearsal and performance space for dance groups, most notably Dance Workshop. In March 1998, the facility was acoustically treated following complications stemming from the 1993 remodel, and, most recently, the space underwent a partial expansion over thanksgiving break 2020, such that it now includes a locker room and foyer space adjacent to the school's north entrance on Porter Road.
* The Pool & Squash Building features a 25-yard, eight-lane ceramic-tile competition pool and eight regulation squash courts. The pool was built into the hillside, thereby reducing the impression of its height and using sloped roof lines.
* The Farmington Boat House is home to the school's crew program; shared, and duly maintained, in a unique public-private partnership with Friends of Farmington Crew.
* Kiki's Field (NCAA regulation synthetic turf) and Maple Field (NFHS synthetic turf) are home to both the school's soccer and lacrosse teams; located at 147 Garden Street, together with Cow Barn Field, which itself is home to the school's softball team.
* Oaklea Field (full NCAA regulation synthetic turf) is home to the school's field hockey and ultimate teams, located at 10 Mountain Road.

Residential culture and student life

Approximately 75% of Porter's girls live on campus in dormitories, all but one of which are former Farmington private residences left to the school. The school operates nine dormitories, many of which were historic private residences in Farmington before becoming part of the school’s campus. House directors live on-site, maintaining a strong sense of community. Each residence has a house director who lives in a private suite or apartment in the immediate vicinity, often with his/her family. House directors at Miss Porter’s School primarily oversee residential houses, a structure designed to enhance student support. Houses traditionally count among their residents two Junior Advisors, student leaders appointed to serve as peer counselors and mediators for each residence, respectively, with the exception of those houses restricted to seniors. Each house is self-governing to an extent, with students responsible for chores on a rotating schedule, the threat of curtailed privileges ever looming. Week-to-week, the Head of Student Activities works closely with the Office of Student Life to build an array of weekend activities; any one weekend has the potential to see a student take in a movie at a nearby AMC Theatres complex, peruse the Westfarms Mall, and partake in a game of lasertag, all in one fell swoop. Student participation in off-campus activities is determined by academic and disciplinary standing, as well as parental restrictions.

In her later years, Ancient Theodate Pope Riddle outfitted a section of her family's homestead on Mountain Road as ''The Odd and End Shop'', known alternatively as ''The Gundy.''

Clubs, sports, and organizations

The school claims to have over fifty active student-run clubs and organizations. If a student doesn't find an organization that fits their specific interest or need, there is a process by which they can create their own.

Athletics

Porter's traditional rival is The Ethel Walker School, against which it competes as a member of the Founders League, and, to a lesser extent, the likes of fellow founding members Choate Rosemary Hall, Hotchkiss, Kent, Kingswood-Oxford, Loomis Chaffee, Taft and Westminster. At the end of each season, Porter's competes against the league's most competitive teams in the New England Championships. The school has no mascot, although some call the teams ''Fighting Daisies''. Since the turn of the millennium, student athletes have earned a combined 12 Founder's League and 8 New England championship titles.

Student publications

The following organizational boards sustain each of the school's publications:

* ''Salmagundy'', established October 27, 1945, is the school's student-run online monthly newspaper.
* The school's journal for scholarly writing, ''Chautauqua'', sharing its name with the US adult education movement, offers publication examples of student research across a variety of academic disciplines.
* The school's yearbook is called ''Daeges Eage,'' Old English for "day's eye."
* ''Haggis/Baggis'' is the school's magazine for literature and fine arts, featuring student poems, short stories, photographs, and artwork. It was first published in 1967. The Spring 1984 issue featured writing by a number of outside authors, solicited earlier in 1984 by the magazine's editors to discuss their respective visions for the year 2020, notably Anne Bernays, Ray Bradbury, Art Buchwald, then Vice President George H. W. Bush, Anthony Hecht, Edward Hoagland, William Manchester, Richard L. Strout, as well as a four-color print donated by Jamie Wyeth, in tribute to the Eric Blair (1903-1950), author of '' 1984''.
* ''The Language Literary Magazine'' is a yearly publication which showcases work by students of foreign languages.

Archives and special collections

As one of the oldest independent schools with archival holdings, the school is particularly significant for research. The archives contain a broad array of materials pertaining to the school and its founder. ''Sarah Porter’s Rule Book'' is in the holdings, as well as many letters, including those sent to her mother and sisters when she made her first visit to Europe in 1872 at the age of fifty-nine.

Notable Ancients (alumnae)

Notable faculty

* Carlo Buonamici, music teacher
* Robert Bolling Brandegee, art teacher
* Theodore Thomas, music teacher

In popular culture

* In the television show '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer,'' when Buffy's mother thinks it would be best to send Buffy away to school, she picks up an application to Miss Porter's.
* In the musical '' Rent'', one of the leads, Harvard-educated lawyer Joanne Jefferson, attended and learned to tango with the French ambassador's daughter in her dorm room at Miss Porter's.
* In the novel, '' Betrayed'' by P.C. and Kristin Cast, Zoey finds Miss Porter's after researching different "private preparatory schools" to find examples of good student councils to model her own new Dark Daughters' council after.
* The novel ''The New Girls'' (1979), by Beth Gutcheon, is set in a school called Miss Pratt's based on Miss Porter's.
* In the film, '' Mona Lisa Smile'' (2003), as Katherine Watson is studying Joan Brandwyn's file, a cutaway shot of it reveals that she attended Miss Porter's School, but incorrectly locates it in Lower Merion, PA.
* On the AMC television series '' Mad Men (''2007-2015)'','' Sally Draper completes an interview and overnight stay at Miss Porter's in the sixth-season episode titled "The Quality of Mercy." Later episodes highlight Sally's adventures at school.
* In the first season of The White Lotus, Kitty Patton mentions having attended Miss Porter's with Cathy Clements.

References

External links

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Private high schools in Connecticut
Boarding schools in Connecticut
Girls' schools in Connecticut
Preparatory schools in Connecticut
Schools in Hartford County, Connecticut
Educational institutions established in 1843
Farmington, Connecticut
1843 establishments in Connecticut