Tilton School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tilton School
Enlarge
Motto: Quanti est sapere
("How Valuable Is Wisdom")
Established 1845
Type Private coeducational secondary
Affiliation Methodist
Headmaster James Clements
Students 230
Grades 8–12 and PG
Location Tilton, New Hampshire USA
Campus Rural
Mascot Ram
Website www.tiltonschool.org

Founded in 1845, Tilton School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school in Tilton, New Hampshire serving students from 9th to 12th grade and postgraduates. Tilton's student body of 215 consists of 43 day students and 172 boarding students from 22 states and 15 countries.

[edit] History

Tilton School was founded in 1845 as a secondary school for boys and girls. Both dormitory students and day students were accepted. About 76 boys and girls formed the first student body. Two buildings, a boarding house and a classroom building were built for the School in Northfield, New Hampshire, which is just across the Winnipesaukee River from the present campus. In the 1860's a fire burned part of the School and forced relocation across the river, to the present campus. Several brick buildings were erected, to be replaced in the 1880's by Knowles Hall.

In the early days, several different names were used for the School, each describing its function and, at times, its location. First, the School was called the New Hampshire Conference Seminary, because it was founded by Methodists, and its primary purpose was to train boys and girls for work in the Church. In 1852, "and Female College" was added to the already long name. College degrees were granted to women until 1903, when the name was changed to "Tilton Seminary." The present name, Tilton School, was adopted in 1923.

Over the years, Tilton School has served many purposes, which were always related to the needs of the times. It has been a co-educational boarding school, a boys' boarding school, a public school, a female college, a junior college, and a secondary school with both college and general courses. In 1939, Tilton ceased serving as the local high school and became strictly an independent boarding and day school for boys. In 1958, the "general diploma" was dropped and only college preparatory courses were offered. In 1970, Tilton once again became co-educational.

[edit] Notable Alumni

  • John Perkins - Author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (Berrett-Koehler, 2004)
  • John Charles Daly - Host of the game show, "What's My Line?", reporter and news executive.
  • Donald M. Murray - Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, columnist for The Boston Globe and Professor Emeritus of English at the University of New Hampshire.
  • M. Emmet Walsh - Character actor who has appeared in dozens of films including: Slap Shot (1977), The Jerk (1979), Brubaker (1980), Blade Runner (1982), and Blood Simple (1984).

[edit] References

Didsbury, Kendall. In the Shadow of the Clock Tower. Tilton School, 1988.