Noble and Greenough School

Noble and Greenough School

Motto	Spes Sibi Quisque
Established	1866
Type	private coeducational
Headmaster	Bob Henderson
Founder	George Washington Copp Noble
Head of Upper School	Ben Snyder
Faculty	95
Students	~550
Grades	7-12
Location	Dedham, Massachusetts, USA
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Navy Blue and White
Mascot	Bulldog
Website	www.nobles.edu

The Noble and Greenough School, commonly known as Nobles, is a coeducational, nonsectarian day and boarding school for students in grades seven through twelve. It is located on a 187-acre (0.76 km²) campus in Dedham, Massachusetts. The current enrollment of 550 students includes a balance of boys and girls, of whom 48 are weekly boarders who go home for the weekends. The majority of students are from Massachusetts, neighboring states and occasionally from abroad. After graduation, virtually all members of the senior class go on to accredited four-year colleges and universities. Nobles' historic rival is Milton Academy.

History

Nobles was founded in 1866 by George Washington Copp Noble, in Boston, Massachusetts, as an all-boys preparatory school for Harvard University. It became known as Noble & Greenough in 1892. In 1922, the school moved from Boston to its current location in Dedham. The Dedham property was previously the Nickerson family estate, and its grounds had been designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It discontinued its lower school at this time, though the lower school still operates today as the Dexter School. In 1975, Nobles admitted girls for the first time.

Facts

Noble & Greenough covers grades 7-12. Members of the twelfth grade are known as members of Class I, on down to seventh grade students who are known as members of Class VI, or more informally as the "sixies." Middle schoolers, in 7th and 8th grade, are housed in the Pratt Middle School, while the Upper School (grades 9-12) are housed in the main building, known as the Shattuck Schoolhouse.

The school covers 187 acres (0.76 km²) in Dedham, Massachusetts. The grounds include nine athletic fields, two gyms, and a sizeable length of the Charles River, upon which the school's crew team practices.

Nobles has 95 faculty members, with a student to faculty ratio of approximately 6:1. The average class size is 14.

Nobles alumni have been prominently featured in recent news coverage. Sarah Parsons '05 scored 4 goals in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games for the USA's Olympic women's hockey team. Helen Resor '04 was also on this team. Ayla Brown '06 was on the American television show American Idol as one of the final 13 contestants. Andrea Ross '09 sang in the Concert for Diana and is currently on tour performing in a musical produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

In September 2006, Nobles completed a state of the art, $20 million dollar, 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) Arts Center, which houses theatrical productions as well as musical performances. The theatre was funded by the Viniks; thus the new venue was named the Vinik Theatre. This was part of an $86 million dollar capital campaign ending in 2008 that significantly improved faculty compensation as well as other aspects of the school. In total, there are three theaters in the school, Lawrence Auditorium in the main building, Vinik Theatre in the Arts building and Towles Theater in the Baker science building.

Students also dine in a historic castle, designed by the architect Henry Hobson Richardson, who also designed Trinity Church in Boston.

The Noble and Greenough Middle School

The Noble and Greenough Middle School consists of approximately 100 students in the 7th and 8th grades, with approximately 50 students in each grade. The Middle School has a different afternoon activities program from the Upper School. Not all students start in the Middle School at Nobles.

Athletics at Nobles

Nobles is a member of the competitive Independent School League. The school has 25 varsity teams. Boys and Girls participate in Soccer, Cross-Country, Hockey, Basketball, Squash, Skiing, Golf, Lacrosse, Tennis, Sailing, and Crew, and the newly formed Ultimate Frisbee team. Boys also participate in Football, Wrestling, and Baseball, while Girls participate in Field Hockey and Softball. Boston College goalie, John Muse, is a Nobles graduate.

Nobles and Milton Academy historically have a Nobles/Milton Day each athletic season. On this day, usually nearing, or on the last game of the season, the two schools compete in almost every sport. Students are known to "get psyched" by face-painting, getting becky, reciting chants, and wearing team colors.

Performing arts

Nobles students populate a variety of performing arts groups. Additionally, Nobles' active theatre program produces four faculty-directed mainstage plays and an average of three student-directed productions each year. Many of these groups rehearse during "M-Block", a period of time twice each week set aside for performing arts groups to rehearse. Others practice outside of regular school hours. Performing arts groups include:

• The Nobleonians, a male a cappella group,
• The Greensleeves, a female a cappella group,
• Noteorious, a newly founded co-ed a cappella group,
• Imani, a co-ed group specializing in multicultural and "world" music,
• Chamber Singers,
• Concert Choir, a group regularly numbering more than 80 students,
• Jazz Band,
• Blues Band,
• Drum Ensemble,
• Guitar Ensemble,
• Wind Ensemble,
• Chamber Music, a winter offering for small ensembles,
• Middle school equivalents to many of the above groups,

Visual arts

All Nobles students take at least one semester of introductory-level visual arts as a graduation requirement. Around 80% of students continue to intermediate-level courses, and approximately 25% take Advanced Placement level arts courses.^{[citation needed]} Students are instructed in Photography (darkroom and digital), Painting, Drawing, Ceramics, and Digital Design.

Students' art can be found on display in the Dawson Gallery, Schmid Gallery, and on Exposure, Nobles' visual arts website. Additionally, the Foster Gallery showcases the work of external, regional artists. Finally, Calliopé, a student-run literary and arts magazine, produces two to three issues each year.

Publications

There are several publications at the Noble and Greenough School. The most well known is the Nobleman, a student run newspaper that is overseen by a faculty adviser and funded by the school and prints the most often. There is also Calliope, a literary arts magazine that is published every year several times. The Beagle is the school's scientific journal which is less frequently published. La Noblesse is a publication that members of the Spanish Club, the Language Department and other language enthusiasts print occasionally. Finally, there is the school yearbook which is produced by a group of students in the upper school every year. There are also several middle school equivalents, such as the MS Press and Chrysalis.

Clubs and organizations

A variety of student-run clubs and organizations at Nobles meet both during and after regular school hours. These groups include a Film, Diplomacy, and Debate Club, as well as student boards for community service and multicultural students. The Nobleman, a student newspaper, and the Nobles Theatre Collective reflect student-generated interest in writing and the arts. Many take place during "X - Block", "M - Block", along with after school

Traditions

Morning Assembly: Every morning Noble's students begin the day with an all-school assembly. Every other week distinguished speakers or performers visit the school and address the audience, normally followed by an informal meeting with especially interested students. The Nobles Dictionary (1975): "Assembly: daily re-enactment of the Tower of Babel."

Christmas Carol: Every year before the winter break, the sixies (first year middle-schoolers) put on a rendition of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol. They get very nervous. The Nobles Dictionary (1975): "the traditional poem recited by the sixth class for the amusement of the rest of the school, who await eagerly the botched results." It is a cherished tradition, quite looked forward to every year.

The Nobleman: The Nobleman is the school newspaper, run mostly by members of the upper class. They are notorious for having some of the best assembly announcements, often ridiculous.

Castle Secret Passageways: There are rumored to be many secret passages in the Castle. When the building served as the boys' dormitory, many would sneak out in the night to explore the building. The legend that surrounds this tradition is that there is a passageway that has never been found by anyone, but is supposed to extend from the castle, underground, to the other side of the Charles River. The student who finds this passage is supposed to be granted free tuition to the school until they graduate. The Nobles Dictionary (1975): "Castle: building that serves dumplings downstairs and houses them upstairs."

The Alcoves: The hallway of Shattuck Schoolhouse, the primary building of the upper school, has alcoves on one side that go the length of the building. Every class in the upper school maintains the same territory from year to year (e.g. the freshmen are in the northern part of the building every year). In their senior year, students graduate to Gleason Hall which is located in the center of the building and decidedly the best spot. Alcoves also serve the purpose of communal lockers for each class. There are also two glass "vestibules" in the Middle School.

Rivalry: The Noble and Greenough School has a rivalry with Milton Academy (also a member of the ISL) which becomes most prominent every fall during Nobles/Milton Weekend. Athletic teams from both schools play each other on the same campus (alternating yearly) creating a festive and heated environment. Courtesy of the 1975 Nobles Dictionary, "Milton: Nobles' satanic alter-ego." ... "Milton Game: the fame that determines the success of the season, as well as the fund drive." The Nobles/Milton football game is one of the oldest annual rivalries in the nation, beginning in 1886.

The Classics: The school was started as a preparatory school for Harvard University. At the time one of the requirements for admission to Harvard was a thorough knowledge of Latin and Greek. Therefore the students at Noble and Greenough primarily studied the Classics. This is still reflected in the middle school where it is required to take Latin.

Wiggins Papers: Students of the junior class submit a portfolio of writing every year in expository, creative, and personal narrative styles. The most impressive are chosen for the Wiggins Prize.

Senior Projects: In the spring of their senior year, students have the option of dropping classes to provide time for the undertaking of a project of their own design.

Notable alumni

Notable alumni of Noble and Greenough include:

• Arthur Everett Austin, Jr., director of the Wadsworth Atheneum
• Michael Beach, class of 1982, actor featured in ER, Third Watch
• Ayla Brown, class of 2006, semi-finalist on the 5th season of American Idol
• Michael Jude Christodal, class of 1986, recording artist, songwriter
• Chris Cleary, class of 1998, professional soccer player
• Robert Dunham, American actor
• Mark Fayne, class of 2006, hockey player drafted in 2005 NHL draft
• Richard P. Freeman, class of 1888, U.S. Representative
• Andrew Glass, class of 2008, hockey player drafted in 2007 NHL draft
• Kylie Gleason, class of 2008, figure ice skater
• Seth Goldman, class of 1983, co-founder, president and TeaEO of Honest Tea
• Wycliffe Grousbeck, class of 1979, co-owner of the Boston Celtics
• David Herrmann, class of 1980, First World War historian and author
• Nya Jade, class of 1994, singer.
• Melvin Johnson, class of 1927, weapons designer, Harvard professor
• Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., attended lower school, brother of JFK and RFK
• John F. Kennedy, attended lower school, 35th President of The United States of America
• Jonathan Kozol, class of 1954, educator, activist & author
• Clarence Cook Little, class of 1906, biologist and President of University of Michigan
• Royal Little, class of 1915, founder of Fortune 500 company Textron and "Father of Conglomerates"
• A. Lawrence Lowell, class of 1873, President of Harvard (1909-1933)
• Percival Lowell, class of 1872, astronomer
• Ralph Lowell, class of 1907, banker and philanthropist
• Francis Peabody Magoun, World War I ace and scholar of languages and literature
• Samuel Eliot Morison, class of 1901, American historian and author
• Albert Nickerson, class of 1929, former chief executive of Mobil Oil and chairman of Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• Sarah Parsons, class of 2005, member of the 2006 Olympic ice hockey team
• Roger Putnam, American politician and businessman
• Helen Resor, class of 2004, member of the 2006 Olympic ice hockey team
• Andrea Ross, class of 2009, actress and singer.
• Leverett Saltonstall, class of 1910, Governor of Massachusetts (1939–1945) and United States Senator (1945–1967)
• Francis Sargent, class of 1935, Governor of Massachusetts (1969-1975)
• Mayo A. Shattuck III, notable American business man, CEO of Constellation Energy
• Louis Agassiz Shaw, inventor of the iron lung, Harvard professor
• Courtney Sims, class of 2003, NBA Basketball player
• Robert Storer (b. 1893) Harvard University football player and WWI war hero
• Chris Tierney, class of 2004, professional soccer player, New England Revolution
• George Clapp Vaillant, anthropologist and author
• Dan Weinstein, class of 1999, Olympic speed skater
• James Wood, class of 1959, President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust
• Mr. Lif, rap artist

Coordinates: 42°15′40″N 71°11′08″W / 42.26111°N 71.18556°W / 42.26111; -71.18556