Madeira School
| Madeira School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
|
8328 Georgetown Pike McLean, Virginia 22102 United States | |
| Coordinates | 38°57′55″N 77°14′6″W / 38.96528°N 77.23500°WCoordinates: 38°57′55″N 77°14′6″W / 38.96528°N 77.23500°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private Boarding and Day school |
| Motto |
Festina Lente (Make haste slowly) |
| Established | 1906 |
| Founder | Lucy Madeira Wing |
| Head | Pilar Cabeza de Vaca |
| Teaching staff | 33.3 (on an FTE basis) |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Gender | Girls |
| Enrollment | 310 (2013-14) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 9.3 |
| Campus | Fringe rural |
| Campus size | 376 acres (1.52 km2) |
| Color(s) | Red & white |
| Nickname | Snails |
| Website |
www |
| [1] | |
Madeira School is a private, non-denominational college-preparatory boarding school for girls located in McLean, Virginia, United States.
History
Originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., it was founded by Lucy Madeira Wing (1873–1961) in 1906 and moved to the Northern Virginia suburb of McLean in 1931.[2]
In 1980 the then Head Mistress Jean Harris was arrested for the murder of Herman Tarnower. Harris' testimony regarding her motive and state of mind at the time brought to light a tradition of hazing at the academy,[3] which reportedly led to injuries and hospitalization of at least one student.[4]
Demographics
The demographic breakdown of the 310 girls enrolled in 2013-2014 was:[1]
- Native American/Alaskan - 0.7%
- Asian/Pacific islanders - 21.6%
- Black - 13.9%
- Hispanic - 3.5%
- White - 55.5%
- Multiracial - 4.8%
Campus and facilities
The campus is on 376 acres (1.52 km2) overlooking the Potomac River (McLean, Virginia) and consists of 34 separate buildings.
Public access
The Madeira school has had many disputes over the use of its land. In 1966 Fairfax County proposed the turning of 208 of Madeira's privately owned 376 acres (1.52 km2) into public park land.[4] In 1991 Madeira gave a trail easement along Georgetown Pike, as well as $89,000 for that trail construction to complete the Potomac Heritage Route without visitors entering the main area of the campus.[5] However, this trail was never completed by the park officials. In 2008, the Fairfax County government attempted to obtain from Madeira an easement near the Potomac River to permit the completion of a 100-mile (160 km) loop of walking trails as a condition of approval for the school's proposed expansion plans. This one-mile (1.6 km)-long trail section through Madeira's property would connect the county's Scott's Run Park to Great Falls National Park. The Madeira School declined this easement, citing concerns about safety and environmental impacts.[6][7]
Administration, faculty, and staff
The Madeira School is controlled by a board of directors, and the school is administered by a Head of School.
Heads of School
- (1906–1957) Lucy Madeira Wing
- (1957–1962) Allegra Maynard
- (1962–1964) Marian W. Smith
- (1964–1965) Allegra Maynard
- (1965–1977) M. Barbara Keyser
- (1977–1980) Jean Struven Harris
- (1980–1981) Kathleen Galvin Johnson '53
- (1981–1988) Charles McKinley Saltzman II
- (1988–2010) Elisabeth Griffith
- (2010–present) Pilar Cabeza de Vaca
Notable alumnae
- Katharine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post
- Frances Sternhagen, Tony Award-winning actress
- Alice Rivlin, former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve and Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget
- Stockard Channing, actress
- Brooke Astor, philanthropist, socialite, and writer
- Penny Chenery, sportswoman, racehorse owner and breeder
- Mika Brzezinski, American television host and journalist, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC
- Kathryn Wasserman Davis, philanthropist and scholar of world affairs
- Kui Kinyanjui, journalist
- Diana Oughton, social activist, Member of Weatherman
- Hope Cooke, American Queen consort of the 12th Chogyal of Sikkim Palden Thondup Namgyal
- Blair Brown, Tony Award-winning actress
- Campbell Brown, NBC anchor and news reporter
- Meredith Whitney, banking analyst
- Stephania Bell, physical therapist and sports commentator
- Helen T. Edwards, physicist
- Lally Weymouth, journalist and editor of The Washington Post
- Mary Helen Wright Greuter, astronomer and historian
- Rory Kennedy, documentary filmmaker[8]
- Alex Kuczynski, author and journalist
- Diana Firestone, racehorse owner and breeder
- Naomi Pierce, evolutionary biologist and Hessel Professor of Biology at Harvard University
- Ruth Carter Stevenson, philanthropist, founder of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art
- Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, philanthropist
Notable faculty
- Kate Clifton Osgood Holmes, painter[9]
Notes
- 1 2 "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for The Madeira School". nces.ed.gov. US Department of Education. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ↑ "The Madeira School". Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ↑ Feron, James (January 30, 1981). "Mrs. Harris Gives Jury Her Version of What Led To Death of Tarnower". The New York Times.
- 1 2 "Notable Dates in Madeira's History". The Madeira School. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ↑ "Madeira Interacts with Local Government". The Madeira School. September 24, 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ↑ "Letters to the Editor, The Madeira School's Prudence". Washington Post. September 12, 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
- ↑ Gardner, A. (September 9, 2008). "Elite Setting's Property Debate: Fairfax County, Madeira School Clash Over Trail". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ↑ http://www.madeira.org/alumnae/alumnae-profiles/notable-alumnae/
- ↑ Andrew J. Cosentino (17 November 1983). The Capital Image: Painters in Washington, 1800–1915. Smithsonian. ISBN 978-0-87474-338-8.