Westminster School (Connecticut)
Private boarding school in Simsbury, Connecticut, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Westminster School is a private, coeducational college-preparatory, boarding and day school located in Simsbury, Connecticut, United States, accepting around 20% of applicants. The total student population is approximately 400, and includes pupils from 25 US states and 30 countries.[1] It is also a member of the Founders League, an athletic league comprising ten college preparatory boarding schools in Connecticut and one in New York.[2]
| Westminster School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
995 Hopmeadow St , Connecticut 06070 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Boarding, Day |
| Motto | Virtute et Numine (Grit and Grace) |
| Established | 1888 |
| Founder | William Lee Cushing |
| CEEB code | 070680 |
| Head of school | Elaine B. White |
| Faculty | 95 |
| Enrollment | 400 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 5:1 |
| Campus size | 210 acres |
| Color(s) | Black and gold |
| Athletics conference | Founders League |
| Mascot | Martlet |
| Endowment | $100,500,000 |
| Tuition | $62,475 Boarding, $47,225 Day |
| Website | westminster-school |
History
Summarize
Perspective
Westminster School was founded in 1888 as a boys' school by William Lee Cushing, a graduate of Yale University.[3] Girls were first admitted to the school in 1971. Like many boarding schools, Westminster faced difficult times in the 1970s as it competed for a shrinking pool of boarding students. When Donald Werner retired in 1993, after serving as Headmaster for 21 years, he was succeeded by Graham Cole.
Significant building projects undertaken include:
- Edge House. Designed by Westminster alumnus Graham Gund and built in 1996, Edge House houses 33 students and three faculty families.[4]
- Kohn Squash Pavilion. Completed in the Spring of 2000, The Squash Pavilion contains eight squash courts around a stepped viewing area with natural light from skylights above. The team rooms, locker rooms, and other support spaces are located on a second floor mezzanine overlooking the viewing area and squash courts below.[5]
- Sherwin Health & Athletic Center. Completed in 2003, the Sherwin Health & Athletic Center, the Hibbard Aquatic Center and the Health & Counseling Center is a multipurpose building. The Aquatic Center contains an eight lane competition pool with support facilities and a viewing area on the mezzanine floor.[6]
- Armour Academic Center. This 85,000-square-foot Center houses the Humanities, Math and Science departments, library, and administration. Building features include a centrally located atrium, two-story library, classrooms and laboratories, 120-seat lecture hall, planetarium, faculty and administrative offices, and a variety of lounge spaces.[7][8]
With Cole's retirement in 2010, Westminster appointed William V.N. Philip as its eighth Headmaster. Philip ascended to the top job after a 26-year career at Westminster as a teacher, coach, dormitory parent, college counselor, and Associate and Assistant Headmaster.[9] Philip stepped down at the end of the 2020–21 academic year.
Elaine B. White was appointed the ninth Head of School in 2021.[10] Prior to her arrival at Westminster, Elaine was Associate Head of School at The Governor's Academy.
Faculty and staff
Headmasters
Student activities
Summarize
Perspective
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2022) |
Athletics
| Sport | Season | Boys/Girls | Competitive | Practice and Game Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Country | Fall | B/G | Yes | Campus trails |
| Field Hockey | Fall | G | Yes | Hovey Field (lighted turf) and Sawyer Field |
| Soccer | Fall | B/G | Yes | Harrison, Michelini, Wilbraham and Tate Fields |
| Water Polo | Fall | B | Yes | Hibbard Aquatic Center |
| Basketball | Winter | B/G | Yes | Pettee and New Gymnasiums |
| Ice Hockey | Winter | B/G | Yes | Jackson Hockey Rink |
| Squash | Winter | B/G | Yes | Kohn Squash Pavilion |
| Swimming and Diving | Winter | B/G | Yes | Hibbard Aquatic Center |
| Baseball | Spring | B | Yes | Osborn Baseball Field |
| Golf | Spring | B/G | Yes | Hopmeadow Country Club and Simsbury Farms Golf Course |
| Lacrosse | Spring | B/G | Yes | Hovey Field (lighted turf), Harrison and Wilbraham Fields |
| Softball | Spring | G | Yes | Softball Field and Observatory Field |
| Tennis | Spring | B/G | Yes | Briggs, Gow and Haynes Tennis Courts |
| Track and Field | Spring | B/G | Yes | Brooks Family Track |
Theater
Each year the theater program stages three productions in the Werner Centennial Theater: one dramatic production spanning the varied genre of Western theater, a musical production, and the student-directed performances, which offer advanced students the opportunity to direct. Each of these productions offers many opportunities for student involvement and leadership, both on stage and backstage.[15]
Situated at the northeastern corner of the campus's central quadrangle, Centennial Center was upgraded in 1988 into a 30,000 square-foot building including a two-story lobby, a 400-seat, multi-use Shakespearean-style theater, music and dance studios and rehearsal room, dressing rooms, a scene shop/laboratory and other production support spaces. Particular to the “courtyard” theater form, all 400 seats are within 40 feet of the front of the stage, and there is built-in flexibility for both audience size and style of production.[16]
Notable alumni
 | This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. (August 2022) |
- William Acquavella, art dealer, head of Acquavella Galleries[17]
- Lake Bell '97, actress
- Eric Boguniecki, NHL hockey player
- Ethan Brooks '91, NFL football player
- Joy Bryant '92, actress
- William S. Beinecke, ‘32, Namesake of Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library[18][19][20][21]
- Tommy Cross '08, Boston Bruins 2nd round draft pick and currently with the Columbus Blue Jackets
- David Doubilet '65, National Geographic photographer
- Jack Du Brul, writer
- Patrick Ellis, radio personality[22]
- Andrew Firestone '94, The Bachelor TV series[23]
- Peter Fonda, actor
- Bryan Nash Gill, '80, artist[24]
- Graham Gund '59, architect[25][26]
- Bertil Hille
- John William Kilbreth, 1894, U.S. Army brigadier general[27]
- Alec Musser, actor
- Ben Smith '06, NHL Hockey player[28]
- John V. Tunney '52, former United States Senator and Representative from the state of California[29][30]
- Wellesley Wild '90, writer and executive producer of Family Guy
References
External links
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