The Hill School

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This article is about the boarding school in Pennsylvania. For the private school in Middleburg, VA, see the Hill School (Virginia).
The Hill School
Image:The_Hill_School.gif
Whatsoever things are true.
Established 1851
School type Co-ed, Private, Boarding
Religious affiliation None (Founded on Judeo-Christian traditions)
Headmaster David Dougherty
Location Pottstown, PA, USA
Campus 200 acres (.81 square km)
Enrollment 490
Faculty 89
Average class size 12
Student:teacher
ratio		 7:1
Average SAT
scores (2005)		 Middle 50% range Verbal: 560-680
Math: 580-690
Athletics 28 Interscholastic
The Hill School - Athletics
Color(s) Gray, Navy Blue
Mascot Ram

The Hill School (The Hill) is an American boarding school for boys and girls in grades nine through twelve. Founded in 1851, The Hill is located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about forty-five minutes north-west of Philadelphia.

The Hill is part of an organization known as The Ten Schools Admissions Organization. This organization was founded more than forty years ago on the basis of a number of common goals and traditions. Member schools include The Hill, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy, The Lawrenceville School, The Taft School, The Hotchkiss School, St. Paul's School, Loomis Chaffee, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Phillips Academy Andover.

In 2006, The Hill's endowment totaled at US$126,000,000.

Contents

[edit] History

The Hill School was founded in 1851 by the Revered Matthew Meigs as "The Family Boarding School." The Hill was the first school in the country to have students live with faculty on the school's campus rather than in a boarding house nearby. At the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865, The Hill adopted school colors of Blue and Grey to symbolize the re-unification of the United States. School alumni fought on both sides of the conflict.

For nearly its entire history The Hill has maintained 500 students per year from which the school song "A Thousand Hands" is drawn. The Hill was an all-boys institution until 1998. As of 2005, the ratio between boys and girls at the school is 60:40. The Hill continues to attract legacies, who make up roughly one-third of the student body.

Owing to its age, The Hill has a campus rich with historic architecture. The Hill's all wood-paneled Dining Hall houses a valuable collection of paintings by the famous American illustrator N.C. Wyeth, father of the notable American painter Andrew Wyeth. A photo of the Dining Hall interior, taken in 1967 and picturing members of the class of 1971 in the foreground, is the cover of Tobias Wolff's novel, Old School.

[edit] School Motto

The School's motto is, "Whatsoever things are true," taken from Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

[edit] School Traditions

  • Unlike many other boarding schools, The Hill continues to maintain its "jacket and tie" dress-code for students, requires all students to attend twice-weekly nondenominational chapel services, and participate in seated family-style meals with faculty in the dining hall.
  • Unlike other schools where students use grade terminology such as "Freshman" or "Sophomore", The Hill uses the traditional English term "forms":
    • Second Form = 8th Grade (Note: The Hill stopped enrolling Second Form students in 1998)
    • Third Form = 9th Grade / Freshman
    • Fourth Form = 10th Grade / Sophomore
    • Fifth Form = 11th Grade / Junior
    • Sixth Form = 12th Grade / Senior
  • Students at the school enjoy competing in J-Ball, short for "Javelin Ball." J-Ball was created in 1955 by Sidney Wood, a fourth former who was also The Hill's tennis champion. Similar to baseball, J-Ball is played with a tennis ball and racquet, but only one player on the fielding team is allowed to use a glove. J-Ball is typically played on the Quad during the second list of the Spring Term.
The Quad, a field surrounded by four of the school's most prominent buildings: The Alumni Memorial Chapel in the West (seen in this picture), Hunt Upper School dormitory in the South, Ryan Library in the East, and the Academic Building in the North
The Quad, a field surrounded by four of the school's most prominent buildings: The Alumni Memorial Chapel in the West (seen in this picture), Hunt Upper School dormitory in the South, Ryan Library in the East, and the Academic Building in the North
  • After receiving their diplomas at graduation, Sixth Formers jump into The Dell and swim out to the center fountain; this is the most attended part of the graduation ceremonies. The Dell is a small pond located near the old ice hockey rink and outside of the Center for the Arts where the ceremony takes place.

[edit] Athletics

The Hill competes in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League. The Hill's teams are called the "Blues" or the "Rams". The Hill's arch-rival is The Lawrenceville School of Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The rivalry is celebrated annually on the first or second weekend of November. The festivities alternate between the two schools each year, and it is the 5th oldest school rivalry,and 3rd oldest high-school rivalry, in the nation.

Besides Hill and Lawrenceville, other schools in the league are Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey, Mercersburg Academy of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey, and Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey.

Some of the schools that The Hill also competes against include St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware, Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts, Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield, Mass; Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut, and Wyoming Seminary College Prep, in Kingston, Pa.

All students are required to participate at some level of athletics, whether it be at the varsity or intramural level. Interscholastic sports include cross country, football, field hockey, soccer, tennis, squash, water polo, swimming, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, baseball, softball, lacrosse, track, and golf.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Years not listed

  • John Backus Computer scientist; inventor of the Fortran computer language.
  • Nelson Bunker Hunt Scion of the Hunt Oil Company family. Did not graduate. Donated the costs to renovate his namesake building on campus.
  • Alfred Glancy III. Current Director of Detroit Energy Company, director and chairman of Unico Invesents, former chairman and CEO of MCN Energy Group Inc.
  • Lane Smith Attended in 1955, did not graduate. Character Actor
  • Edmund Wilson Writer.
  • Tobias Wolff Writer. Did not graduate.

[edit] Headmasters

  • David R. Dougherty, 1993-
  • Charles C. Watson, 1973-1993
  • Archibald R. Montgomery, 1968-1973
  • Edward (Ned) T. Hall, 1952-1968
  • James I. Wendell, 1928-1952
  • Boyd Edwards, 1922-1928
  • Dwight R. Meigs, 1914-1922
  • Alfred G. Rolfe, 1911-1914
  • John Meigs, 1876-1911
  • Matthew Meigs, 1851-1876

[edit] External links

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