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.
Location
Pottstown, PA, USA
Information
Religion None (Founded on Judeo-Christian traditions)
Headmaster David R. Dougherty
Enrollment

493
Faculty 89
Average class size 12
Student:teacher ratio 7:1
Average SAT scores (2005) Middle 50% range Verbal: 560-680
Math: 580-690
Type Co-ed, Private, Boarding
Campus 300 acres (1.21 square km)
Athletics 28 Interscholastic
The Hill School - Athletics
Mascot Ram

homepage = TheHill.org
Color(s) Confederate Gray, Union Blue
Established 1851

The Hill School (a.k.a. The Hill) is an American preparatory boarding school for boys and girls in grades nine through twelve, in addition to a post-graduate program for students who graduated high school. Founded in 1851, The Hill is located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest 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 2007, The Hill's endowment totaled at $145 million.

Contents

[edit] History

The Hill School was founded in 1851 by the Rev. Matthew Meigs, as "The Family Boarding School." 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 3:2. Legacy students 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. These paintings were a gift from former director of athletics, Michael F. Sweeney. 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 many other schools where students use grade terminology such as "Freshman" or "Sophomore," The Hill uses the traditional English term "forms":
    • 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 future Wimbledon 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 and far fields during the second list of the Spring Term.
  • 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 football teams are called the "Rams". All other sports are called the "Blues". 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 the 3rd oldest high-school rivalry, in the nation, dating back to 1887.[1]

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

  • Perry R. Bass Billionaire Philanthropist, Son of Texas Oilman E. Perry Bass.
  • Nelson Bunker Hunt Scion of the Hunt Oil Company family. Did not graduate. Donated the costs to renovate his namesake building on campus.
  • Wolcott Gibbs, writer for The New Yorker, class of '20 but did not graduate.
  • 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.
  • Sidney Wood Creator of Hill School tradition, J-Ball, Wimbledon Men's Singles Champion 1931, Davis Cup finalist of 1934.
  • Chris Bala American professional ice hockey player.

[edit] Headmasters

  • David R. Dougherty, 1993-
  • Charles C. Watson, 1973-1993
  • Archibald R. Montgomery, 1968-1973
  • Edward (Ned) T. Hall, 1952-1968
  • James 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] References

  1. ^ Ross, Rosemarie. "Hill ends season with key victory", Mercury (Pennsylvania), November 13, 2005. Accessed October 31, 2007. "In the game that annually means the most to them, it was near total Blues dominance as visiting Hill routed arch rival Lawrenceville, 41-18, Saturday to take home the silver trophy bowl for the second straight year. This was their 103rd showdown in a rivalry that started in 1887."
  2. ^ JOHN BACKUS: a restless inventor, accessed December 24, 2006
  3. ^ James A. Baker, 3rd, Current Biography, March 2007. Accessed December 25, 2007. "Like his father, Jim Baker, as he prefers to be known, attended the Hill School, a college prep school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, then enrolled at Princeton University."
  4. ^ Severo, Richard. "William Proxmire, Maverick Democratic Senator From Wisconsin, Is Dead at 90", The New York Times, December 16, 2005. Accessed October 31, 2007. "The family was well-to-do, and he was sent to the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., and then to Yale, where he was an English major."

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Ten Schools Admissions Organization