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Collegiate School (New York City)

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This article is about the New York City school founded in 1628. For other uses, see Collegiate School.

Collegiate School
Current campus at 301 Freedom Place
Address
Map
301 Freedom Place South

New York
,
New York
10069

United States
Information
TypePrivate, day, college prep
MottoDutch: Eendracht maakt macht
("In unity there is strength")
Established1628; 396 years ago (1628)
FounderThe Rev. Jonas Michaelius and the Dutch West India Company
ChairmanJonathan Youngwood ’85
HeadmasterBodie Brizendine
Faculty104.2 (on an FTE basis)[1]
GradesK-12[1]
GenderBoys
Number of students656 (2019–2020)[1]
Student to teacher ratio6.3[1]
CampusUrban
Color(s)Orange and blue   
NicknameDutchmen
NewspaperThe Journal
YearbookThe Dutchman
AffiliationsIvy Prep School League
New York Interschool
Websitewww.collegiateschool.org

Collegiate School is a private school for boys on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City. It claims to be the oldest school in the United States, and currently educates around 675 boys in grades K-12.

It is a member of both the New York Interschool and the Ivy Preparatory School League.

History

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Establishment and founding date controversy

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In 1628, the Reverend Jonas Michaëlius, the first minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in America, arrived in the Dutch colony of New Netherland and began teaching the catechism to Native American children in Manhattan.[2] In 1638, Michaëlius' school received its formal charter from the Dutch West India Company and the Classis of Amsterdam, the supervising body of the Dutch Reformed Church.[3] The school began as a co-ed school located south of Canal Street,[citation needed] but became an all-boys institution at the end of the 19th century.[4]

The school historically catered to Manhattan's Dutch settler population; The New York Times wrote in 1972 that "from its inception, Collegiate's student body has included the children of some of the best known families in New York."[5] Classes were exclusively conducted in Dutch until 1773, over 100 years after the English conquest of New Netherland.[4] In addition, members of the Dutch Reformed Church received priority in the admissions process until 1869.[4] Collegiate gained corporate independence from the church in 1808, but remained associated with the Reformed Church until 1940,[4] when it became a non-profit corporation.[3] However, the Dutch population continued to be well-represented at the school; as late as 1959, 6 of the 25 trustees were still members of the Reformed Church.[6]

Due to the school's long history, it has taken on several names, including Charity School of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. The school was renamed Collegiate School of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in 1860 and Collegiate Grammar School in 1887.[4] It has also moved 17 times over the last four centuries.[7]

The school has revised its founding date over the years. The school initially set the founding date at 1633, but later revised it to 1638.[8] In 1984, the school uncovered a 1628 letter from Michaëlius discussing his teaching efforts. Based on this letter, the school changed the foundation date to 1628, allowing it to (controversially) claim the title of the oldest school in America. (Boston Latin School, the nation's oldest public school, was founded in 1635, and Harvard University, the nation's oldest university, was founded in 1636.)[9][10][11]

Transition to college-preparatory school

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The new building of the old Collegiate School campus (1968).

LeMuel C. Mygatt served as headmaster from 1887 to 1910. Under his leadership, Collegiate transitioned from a co-educational, tuition-free "charity school" to the present-day all-boys college-preparatory school. In 1887 the school moved uptown from 29th Street to 74th Street[12] and began charging tuition.[4] It stopped admitting girls in 1892.[4] However, the school operated a co-educational kindergarten from 1935 to 1961.[4]

Under Mygatt, the school moved to the grounds of the West End Collegiate Church on 77th Street in 1892, where it would remain until 2018.[7] (A 78th Street extension was added in 1968.[13]) The school's original building at the West End location was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[14]

Collegiate's middle school traditionally served as a feeder school to (mostly Eastern) boarding schools; in 1961, 75% of graduating middle schoolers went on to boarding school. However, the school's historically upper-class clientele began favoring day schools for high school. By 1970 only 9% of Collegiate students left for boarding school.[15]

The school also offered an extensive financial aid program. In 1971, nearly a third of Collegiate's 518 students were on scholarship.[16]

Recent years

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Collegiate was forced to move to a new campus in 2006, when the West End Collegiate Church required the school to vacate the premises by 2022.[7] The church sold the buildings to build residential condominiums.[17]

On January 12, 2018, Collegiate opened a new 178,000-square-foot facility building on 301 Freedom Place South, in New York's Riverside South neighborhood.[18] The board chairman had previously estimated that the new facility would cost $125–$135 million.[7] In 2024, the school opened an annex space at 50 Riverside Boulevard.[4]

Headmaster David Lourie stepped down in 2024 after four years, following internal disputes about the approach the school should take towards the Israel–Hamas war; an internal report noted that "many Jewish parents" wanted the school to issue a statement condemning the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.[19] (Collegiate was not the only New York school to face such turmoil; Fieldston's head of school stepped down two months later.[20])

In 2024, Collegiate appointed former Spence School principal Bodie Brizendine as Head of School; she is the first woman to lead the school in its history.[21][22]

Iconography

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The old school mascot, "Peg Leg Pete," in the 1975 yearbook

Collegiate's iconography has traditionally reflected its status as one of the remaining symbols of the Dutch legacy in New York City. The school's sports teams compete as the Collegiate Dutchmen and the school colors are orange and blue, based on the flag of Prince William the Silent (better known in the Anglosphere as William of Orange).[23] In June 2020, a History and Symbols Task Force issued a lengthy report recommending certain revisions to the school's iconography.[23][24]

Seal and motto

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Collegiate's seal is an adaptation of the coat of arms of William of Orange, who founded the Dutch Republic and the Reformed Church in that country and led the cause of independence and of freedom for the Reformed Church against Philip II of Spain. The school seal traditionally included two mottos: Eendracht Maakt Macht, Dutch for "In unity there is strength", and Nisi Dominus Frustra, Latin for "unless God, then in vain" (from Psalm 127).

Following the Task Force's recommendation,[23] the school removed the Latin motto in 2022, owing to its explicitly religious nature and Collegiate's status as a secular institution.[25]

Mascot

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Traditionally, the school's mascot was a Dutchman, generally interpreted as a caricature of Peter Stuyvesant, and often called "Peg Leg Pete" by students.[25] In the 21st century, the mascot became subject of controversy because of Stuyvesant's lack of religious tolerance, his vision for New Amsterdam as a slave depot, and his anti-Semitism.[26][27]

Following the Task Force's recommendation,[23] the school revised the "Dutchman" mascot to remove overt references to Stuyvesant by obscuring the mascot's face and removing the peg leg.[25]

Finances

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Tuition and financial aid

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Tuition for the 2024–25 academic year is $65,900.[28] The school offers a financial aid program, but does not disclose the number of scholarship students. In the 2022–23 school year, the school's scholarship budget was $5.17 million,[29] the equivalent of roughly 86 full scholarships (~13% of the student body).[30]

Endowment and expenses

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In 2020, Collegiate disclosed that its endowment stood at $73.3 million.[31] In its Internal Revenue Service filings for the 2022–23 school year, Collegiate reported total assets of $350.8 million, net assets of $281.8 million, investment holdings of $73.8 million, and cash holdings of $31.8 million. Collegiate also reported $42.3 million in program service expenses and $5.2 million in grants (primarily student financial aid).[29]

Organization

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Campus

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In January 2018, Collegiate moved into a new facility at 301 Freedom Place South. It consists of an 11-story building (nine stories above ground and two below), with 180,000 square feet (17,000 m2) of classroom, athletics, theater, music, art, library, dining, and administrative space. The school has common areas dedicated to each division that provide space for independent study, social interactions, and divisional activities.

The Lower School is located on floors 2 and 3. The Middle School occupies floors 8 and 9. It has its own Maker Space, along with flexible classrooms, a Middle School Center and large, modern group study spaces. The Upper School is housed on floors 5 and 6. It is larger than the division's previous space and is next to the library. It has flexible classrooms and common areas that promote interaction among students and faculty.

Sciences for all three divisions are on floor 7. Visual arts and music occupy floor 4, with music practice spaces, art studios, and a digital photo lab. On the Lower Level is a 307-seat auditorium and a black-box theater for Collegiate's drama program. Collegiate's athletics are in the Lower Level and include a high school regulation-size gym for the basketball teams. The gym can be partitioned to provide PE classes and practice space simultaneously. An additional gym, the Alumni Gym, can accommodate wrestling competitions and half-court basketball and has a retractable batting cage.

Outdoor space consists of a large roof deck on floor 9 with a large recreation area and a ground-level, 5,000-square-foot courtyard for handball and basketball.[32]

Structure

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Each grade has around 50 boys. Those who attend Collegiate for all 12 years are nicknamed "Survivors".[citation needed] The school is divided into Lower School (Kindergarten-Grade 4), Middle School (Grades 5–8), and Upper School (Grades 9-12). More than a quarter of Collegiate teachers have a PhD.

The school is private, and it functions under a New York City non-profit statute enacted in the 1940s. Collegiate is controlled by a board of trustees, and the school is administered by a Head of School.[33]

Leadership

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Collegiate School was headed by Lee M. Levison from July 1, 2006, until June 30, 2020. He was preceded by W. Lee Pierson, the interim Head of School after the departure of Kerry P. Brennan in 2004.[34] Levison announced his intention to retire in December 2018, causing the board of trustees to begin a search for his replacement.[35]

On May 31, 2019, the board of trustees unanimously voted to appoint David S. Lourie, Head of the St. Anne's-Belfield School since 2009, as Collegiate's 29th Head of School.[36][35] He began his tenure upon Levison's retirement on July 1, 2020.

Rankings

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In 2007, The Wall Street Journal ranked Collegiate first in the world in terms of percent of the senior class matriculating to eight selective American colleges.[37]

Sports and co-curricular activities

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The school's athletic success has mainly been with the varsity basketball, baseball, track and field, soccer, and cross country teams. The Collegiate soccer team won the NYSAIS state championship in 2010, 2011, and 2012.[38]| The Collegiate varsity basketball team won five straight state championships in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.[38] The Collegiate cross country team won 25 Ivy League Championships in a row from 1990 to 2014.[38] The Collegiate wrestling team won their first Ivy League and NYSAIS titles in 2022. Collegiate also has a golf and tennis team. Students not participating in a sport take physical education. Yearly fitness tests are administered in the lower and middle schools.

The school has a number of clubs, especially in the Upper School, including The Collegiate Journal. its newspaper operating since 1932; The Dutchman, the yearbook published every year since 1906; and Prufrock. its literary magazine, first published in 1973.[39]

Notable alumni

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Main article: List of Collegiate School (New York City) alumni

Affiliated organizations

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "COLLEGIATE SCHOOL". Private School Universe Survey. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  2. ^ "Colligiate's Arithmetic Makes it the Oldest School". The New York Times. May 5, 1985. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Collegiate School in NY | The Oldest Independent School in the US". www.collegiateschool.org. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Our History". www.collegiateschool.org. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  5. ^ Handler, M. S. (February 23, 1972). "Headmaster of the Collegiate School Is Removed". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "Parkhill Extols Private Schools". The New York Times. April 21, 1959. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d Anderson, Jenny (February 5, 2013). "Collegiate School, New York's Oldest Private School, Plans 17th Move". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Sargent, Porter (1915). A Handbook of the Best Private Schools of the United States and Canada. Boston, MA: P.E. Sargent. p. 10.
  9. ^ "Colligiate's Arithmetic Makes It Oldest School". The New York Times. May 5, 1985. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  10. ^ "Gifted Parents Help Collegiate School". The New York Times. May 24, 1988. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  11. ^ "Manhattan's Collegiate Says It's Oldest | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. October 15, 1984. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  12. ^ Gray, Christopher (May 2, 1999). "Streetscapes /West End Collegiate Church; Restoring a Distinctive Dutch-Style Building's Roof". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  13. ^ Currivan, Gene (January 11, 1968). "New Collegiate School Building Costing $2.5-Million Dedicated". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  14. ^ "West End Collegiate Church and Collegiate School". National Park Service. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  15. ^ Thomas, Evan W. (February 16, 1971). "Prep School Blues". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  16. ^ "23d Headmaster, 39, Named By the Collegiate School Here". The New York Times. February 12, 1971. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  17. ^ Warerkar, Tanay (September 12, 2018). "Historic Upper West Side school will become a 19-story condo". Curbed NY. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  18. ^ "Collegiate School - Private Boys K-12 Day School in NYC". www.collegiateschool.org. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  19. ^ Rosman, Katherine (June 10, 2024). "Why the Head of One of New York's Most Elite Schools Quit". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  20. ^ Rosman, Katherine (August 1, 2024). "Head of an Elite New York School Resigns After Turmoil Over Gaza War". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  21. ^ "Leadership". www.collegiateschool.org. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "The Spence School Announces New Head of School". NCGS. June 25, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c d "The Report of the History and Symbols Task Force" (PDF). collegiateschool.org. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  24. ^ "History and Symbols Task Force Report Released". Collegiate School. June 18, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  25. ^ a b c Klingman, Corey (February 19, 2022). "The Battle Over Race, Tradition and an Elite Private School's Mascot". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  26. ^ Otto, Paul, "Peter Stuyvesant." in American National Biography, volume 21, 99–100. New York: Oxford University Press. 1999.
  27. ^ "The Report of the History and Symbols Task Force" (PDF). collegiateschool.org. p. 35. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  28. ^ "Tuition and Financial Aid". www.collegiateschool.org. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Collegiate School Inc, Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  30. ^ "Tuition and Financial Aid". Collegiate School. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  31. ^ "Collegiate School: Assistant Head of School for Enrollment" (PDF). Carney Sandoe & Associates. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  32. ^ "Collegiate's New Home | Facts About Our New Home". Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  33. ^ "Collegiate School | All Boys K-12 in NYC | School Facts". collegiate school. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  34. ^ Collegiate School, About Us: History Archived October 19, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  35. ^ a b Collegiate School, Head of School Search, Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  36. ^ St. Anne's-Belfield School, Senior Administration, Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  37. ^ Gamerman, Ellen (November 30, 2007). "How to Get Into Harvard". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  38. ^ a b c "New York State Association of Independent Schools Past Champions" (PDF). NYSAIS.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  39. ^ "Collegiate School History". collegiateschool.org. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
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