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Middlesex School
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Motto |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">Fides, Veritas, Labor |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">School type |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">Private, Boarding, Coeducational |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Established |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">1901 |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Head of School |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">Kathleen C. Giles |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Location |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">Concord, MA, USA |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Campus |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">Small town, 350 acres (1.4 km²) |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Endowment |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">$75 million |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Religious affiliation |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">None |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Enrollment |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">~350 |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Faculty |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">~65 |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Average SATs |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">2020 |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Average class size |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">11 |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Teacher:Student ratio |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">1:5 |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Tuition |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">$38,840 (boarder), $31,075 (day student) |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Financial aid |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">$2.8 million, 28% student body, $26,200 (average) |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Applicants accepted |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">25% (200 out of 800 applicants) |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Boarding/day student ratio |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">74% boarding to 26% day |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Faculty with advanced degrees |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">66% |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Students of color |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">17% |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">International students |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">10% |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Saturday classes |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">Yes |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">AP courses |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">25 |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">School Newspaper |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">The Anvil |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">School colors |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">Cardinal, White |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Mascot |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">Zebra |
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ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">School website |
ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top">www.mxschool.edu |
Middlesex School is an independent secondary school for grades 9 - 12 located in Concord, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1901 by Frederick Winsor, who headed the school until 1937. It became co-educational in 1974, admitting adolescent girls for the first time.
The school was named for the county Middlesex in which it stands, also inspired by the patriotic poem "Paul Revere's Ride": "So, Revere’s cry of alarm / To every Middlesex village and farm, / A cry of defiance and not of fear".
From the school's earliest days, Middlesex enjoyed a close affiliation with Harvard University, and for many years the majority of Middlesex graduates attended Harvard. Today, the largest numbers of graduates of the last four years now attend Brown University, Harvard University, Cornell University, Tufts University and Trinity College.
Middlesex is a member of the Independent School League.
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History
In 1901, Frederick Winsor opened his school in Concord and from its inception, Middlesex was to be different from the other academies and "church schools" of the day. Winsor wanted his school to be non-denominational, where students from different religious backgrounds could learn. From the very beginning, his mission was "to find the promise that lies hidden" in every student.
The design for Middlesex's campus was created by the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, the greatest landscape architect of the 19th century and the designer of New York's Central Park, Boston's Emerald Necklace and Stanford University. The architect for the main buildings was the noted Boston firm of Peabody & Stearns, and much of the campus that seems so familiar today was built largely by 1925. A recent addition is the Clay Centennial Center, completed in 2003, a building which hosts science and math classrooms as well as an observatory with an 18-inch research grade telescope.
One of Winsor's greatest achievements was the creation of the National Scholarship Program, the first of its kind at any secondary school. These scholarships brought students from every corner of the country and made Middlesex a truly national institution. This broad representation has been a hallmark of Middlesex and continues today, with current Middlesex students representing 27 states and 11 foreign countries.
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Plaques
Among Middlesex's many traditions, one has remained virtually unchanged since the first graduate received his diploma in 1904: every senior has carved a plaque that permanently adorns a wall in one of the School's main buildings. Students have always been given great latitude in the subject matter of their carvings, and some are representations of home states, favorite sports, meaningful experiences, and even rock album covers. But carving a plaque is a graduation requirement; thus, more than a few students have spent the night before Commencement applying the final coat of varnish to their plaques.
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Campus
Most of the major campus buildings face The Circle, the School’s most enduring and familiar feature. It was exacted as part of the original campus design by the Olmsted Brothers.
Eliot Hall - The main academic and administration building, in which most English, history and foreign language classes are held. The Terry Room, the destination for students and prospective applicants, is at the heart of the building.
Clay Centennial Center - Completed in 2003, it houses state-of-the art labratories and all science and math classes classrooms. The observatory features a Centurion18, an eighteen-inch, reflective optic, research-grade telescope, accompanied by a rooftop observation deck with seven computer-controlled telescopes.
Ware Hall - the School’s dining hall and administration building. The main dining room features flags from every nation represented by a Middlesex student. Ware also houses the Cruz Health Center and the school store. The Student Center (or, “Stu-Fac,” as it is called) is a lounge where students congregate between classes and after study hours.
Memorial Chapel in Lambert Hall - A non-denominational chapel, originally dedicated to the Middlesex graduates who had died during World War I, though later rededicated to also honor those graduates who had given their lives in World War II. Each Wednesday, the entire school gathers to hear talks delivered by seniors, faculty members and occasional outside speakers. Renovated in 2003, the Chapel also features a choral practice space and a new pipe organ.
Warburg Library - Contains more than 37,000 volumes and 100 periodicals. The library is a popular place among students to study throughout the day and during evening study hours. Ongoing exhibits, book talks, and film festivals are held in the Library throughout the year. Students can also borrow DVDs and videos from the Library’s collection.
Cornelius Ayer Wood ’13 Arts Building - home to Middlesex’s 408-seat theatre, where the two or three student theatrical productions are held each year. The theatre also hosts the twice-weekly all-school assemblies. The building also features two drawing studios, space for set-building, pottery and photography studios, a smaller black box theatre and an exhibition gallery. There is also a woodworking studio wherein students carve their plaques.
The Atkins Athletic Complex - Features two basketball courts, a fitness center, twelve squash courts, a wrestling room and a dance studio. The new Elizabeth Atkins Athletic Center houses the hockey rink and six international squash courts. When the rink’s boards come down after hockey season has ended, the space is converted to four indoor tennis courts. The Middlesex Athletic Hall of Fame is also here.
Athletic Fields - Among the finest in the northeast among secondary schools. They are meticulously cared for, and are of such high quality that they have often been used by Boston-area college teams as well as several countries’ national teams, including the U.S. men's national soccer team. All of the fields are contiguous, and game days in the fall or spring are lively affairs, with spectators easily moving from one contest to another.
Bateman’s Pond - Body of water that stretches a half mile from end to end. The crews’ lower boats use the pond for their practices. Other students take advantage of the opportunity to canoe or fish out on the water. Walking trails and bike paths surround the pond and extend into Estabrook Woods.
There are four boys’ dorms and five girls’ dorms. Two or three faculty members live with their families in apartments within the buildings. All dorm rooms are wired for telephone and internet access, and each dorm has a common room equipped with a television and DVD player.
Boys' Houses
Girls' Houses
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Athletics
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Athletics have always been a hallmark of Middlesex. In the earliest years, faculty often suited up for games alongside the students. For the better part of six decades, the athletic offerings were simple: nearly all of the boys played football in the fall and ice hockey in the winter, and had a choice of baseball or crew in the spring. Over the years, more sports were added and the roster has grown considerably. Middlesex now fields 24 varsity sports.
Underclassmen are required to play three seasons of competitive sport each year. Although upperclassmen's requirements are progressively more lenient, most students still participate beyond the minimum sporting requirement.
A founding member of the sixteen-school Independent School League (ISL), Middlesex boasts an unusually successful record for a school of its size. In the 2005-2006 academic year alone, football, girls' cross country, and girls' crew won New England championships; the golf and boys' lacrosse teams won Independent School League championships; and boys' soccer, boys' hockey, and girls' field hockey advanced to play in the postseason. In recent years, Middlesex athletes have earned Boston Globe All-Scholastic, All-New England, and All-American honors. Many graduates go on to play at Division I and Division III colleges.
St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island is Middlesex's traditional rival. Three times a year athletes from the visiting school travel two hours by bus to compete against rival teams. The schools alternate each year to host the games, which conclude each regular, athletic season.
Fall Season
Winter Season
Spring Season
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(|) -- Denotes separate, m. or f. teams
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Music and drama
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For nearly 50 years, Middlesex was renowned for its performances of Gilbert & Sullivan musicals. The youngest boys in the School were cast in the female roles. Today, the school perfoms at least one major drama and one musical each year. Between major productions, students direct and perform one-act plays and underclassmen are required to take a semester-long drama course.
Almost one fifth of the student body sings in one of the choruses. Chapel Chorus, non-auditioned, is the school's largest a capella group. The smaller male group, Bateman's Bullfrogs, and female group, MxOlydians, audition members from the larger Chapel Chorus. Middlesex a capella groups participate annually in the Wicks Choral Fest and produce a CD of their work each year.
Freedom of Speech is a student-run club that organizes regular concerts (mostly contemporary music) featuring students.
"Rank by Rank" (Hymn 27) is the school's official hymn. However, "Jerusalem" (Hymn 110), in spite of obvious religious undertones, is the school's preferred hymn. It is sung after nearly every chapel meeting.
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! Recent Theatrical Productions
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My Secret Life (commissioned by Middlesex) (Fall 2003)
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| A Midsummer Night's Dream (Spring 2004)
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| The Seagull (Fall 2004)
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| Into the Woods (Spring 2005)
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| A Flea in Her Ear (Fall 2005)
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| Bat Boy (Spring 2006)
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| Les Liaisons dangereuses (Fall 2006)
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| Happy Birthday, Wanda June (Student Directed) (Winter 2006)
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| Les Miserables (Spring 2007)
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Heads of School
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In its century-long history, Middlesex has been led by only five individuals. Frederick Winsor, founder and Head of School from 1901 to 1937, was followed by Lawrence "Monk" Terry, who served as Headmaster until 1964. David Sheldon was a member of the Middlesex faculty when he was tapped to be the third Headmaster. During Sheldon's tenure, the School became coeducational (in 1974) and began admitting students of color. While Deirdre Ling was the fourth Head, Middlesex constructed a number of new facilities, added a non-Western language (Chinese) to the curriculum, wired the entire campus for technology, and celebrated the School's centennial. In 2003, Kathleen C. Giles became fifth Head of School.
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Estabrook Woods Controversy
The Estabrook Woods
The Estabrook Woods is a wild tract of more than 1200 acres of woodland, hills, ledge, and swamp two miles north of the Town of Concord. It is the largest contiguous and undeveloped woodland within thirty miles of Boston. However, the woods have a history of human disturbance dating back to the Algonquin Native Americans who used controlled burning to clear tracts of land. Later, colonists cleared much of Estabrook for agriculture and pastures, although vegetation has since rejuvenated.
Henry David Thoreau is intimately associated with this area, which he called Easterbrooks Country. In his Oct. 20, 1857 journal entry, one of several on the woodland, he writes: “What a wild and rich domain that Easterbrooks Country! Not a cultivated, hardly a cultivatable field in it, and yet it delights all natural persons.” The woods are also home to the Estabrook Road, which Minutemen used at the start of the Revolutionary War.
Though publicly accessible, most of Estabrook is privately owned by Harvard University (672 acres) and Middlesex School (180 acres).
The Controversy
In the early 1990s, Middlesex announced plans to develop Parcel A, a 40-acre tract in Estabrook, half of which is protected wetland. Over the course of 15 years, Concord residents and a group of Middlesex students and alumni have resisted efforts by the school to develop this land. Middlesex argues that the campus needs more athletic fields and tennis courts to compete favorably with rival schools. The school currently has four indoor courts and no outdoor courts for six tennis teams, which typically have 60 to 65 members. Middlesex says that the fields are needed to ensure that three field hockey teams do not have to practice on the same field at the same time.
Middlesex Graduates for Estabrook and Common Sense, a student group, counter that the intrinsic value of Estabrook outweighs the benefits of developing the land. In particular, they point to a 1963 article in the Middlesex Alumni Bulletin in which then-president Lawrence "Monk" Terry considers the educational resources that the Estabrook Woods offers, especially for biology students. Furthermore, according to a 2000 survey conducted by Common Sense, most Middlesex students oppose the project.
In June 2005, after a $1 million process to gain approval, Middlesex began construction in Estabrook, to be completed in 2007. It will include 8 tennis courts, 2 artificial turf fields, sports shelter, and waterless toilets and will be connected to the main campus by a 300-foot bridge over protected wetlands. In all, roughly 11 acres will be developed.
Middlesex trustees previously turned down a $4.5 million offer to fund a joint environmental studies program in Estabrook with Harvard University. Middlesex felt that their share of the offer ($1.8 million) would not be sufficient to fund the program.
In 2017, a conservation restriction on Parcel B (another 40-acre tract of land) will expire. Middlesex has not announced plans to develop Parcel B.
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Notable alumni
Mills Lane - Judge, boxing referee, and television personality
Joseph P. Watkins - Director of Hill Solutions LLC, Philadelphia talk show personality
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Popular culture
School Ties (1992), starring Brendan Fraser, Chris O'Donnell, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck, was filmed at Middlesex.
One of five elite boarding schools collectively known as St. Grottlesex
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Notes
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