The Frederick Gunn School

The Frederick Gunn School
Address
99 Green Hill Road Washington , Connecticut 06793 United States
Information
Type	Private, College prep Day & Boarding
Motto	Vir Bonus Semper Discipulus Est (A good person is always learning)
Established	1850
CEEB code	070-825
Dean	Ashley LeBlanc
Principal	Peter Becker
Faculty	55
Grades	9–12/PG Year
Gender	Coeducational
Enrollment	310 (2020-21[1])
Average class size	12 students
Student to teacher ratio	6:1
Campus size	220 acres (0.89 km2)
Campus type	Rural
Athletics conference	NEPSAC
Sports	35 sports teams
Accreditation	NEASC
Tuition	- Boarding Students: $66,523 - Day Students: $47,234 [2]
Website	www.frederickgunn.org

The Frederick Gunn School is a private, coeducational, boarding and day prep school for students in grades 9-12 and post graduate, located in rural Connecticut, United States.^[3] The 220-acre (0.89 km²) campus borders the village green of Washington, a small, historic town in Litchfield Hills. Formerly known as The Gunnery and Mr. Gunn's School, it was named for its founder, has no military affiliations and is a non-sectarian school.

The Frederick Gunn School was founded in 1850 by Frederick W. Gunn, a teacher, abolitionist, and father of recreational camping in America, based on his belief that strength of character was the goal of education.

History

Formerly known as The Gunnery, The Frederick Gunn School was founded by Frederick William Gunn and his wife Abigail in 1850.^[4] It was originally 30 boys on 50 acres (20 ha).^[5] In 1894 The Ridge School was founded as an affiliated junior school for younger boys. The school offered a classical education typical of Anglican tradition schools of the time but also emphasized athletic opportunities, environmental awareness and moral values. In a less inclusive era, the Gunns' school welcomed girls, international students and African American students.

The 1920s saw sweeping changes brought to the school. It became an all-boys school, enrollment tripled and new buildings were added. During World War II, The Gunnery prepared boys for entering the armed forces. In 1977, The Gunnery returned to its coeducational roots. For several years prior, The Gunnery had a partnership with the nearby all-girls school Wykeham Rise, which has since closed.^[6][7] The first female head was appointed in 1991.

Boarding

The Gunnery is a day and boarding school, with 73% (229 boarders, 83 day)^[8] of its students residing in one of the 10 dormitories on campus. Students are supported by teachers, coaches, faculty advisors, dorm parents, administrators and student leaders who are designated as Residential Assistants (RAs).^[9] In most dormitories, students are grouped by class. Each dormitory consists primarily of single and double student rooms, but also house faculty and their families. There are students from 17 different countries and 25 states in the U.S. Students from Australia, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Canada, Cameroon, China, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Spain, Sweden and Vietnam were included in the student body in the 2019–20 academic year.^[10]

Athletics

Championships

• 1990 – Boys Ice Hockey – WNEPSAC Championship^[11]
• 2002 – Girls Ice Hockey – New England Division II Champions^[12]
• 2004 – Boys Baseball – Western New England Prep Baseball League Champions^[13]
• 2007 – Boys Baseball – Western New England Prep Baseball League Champions^[13]
• 2007 – Girls Lacrosse – New England Class B Co-Champions
• 2009 – Boys Baseball – Western New England Prep Baseball League Champions^[13]
• 2012 – Girls Field Hockey – New England Class C New England Champions^[14]
• 2013 – Girls Ice Hockey – New England Division II Champions^[12]
• 2013 – Boys Hockey – Edward G. Watkins New Years Tournament Champion^[11]
• 2014 – Girls Ice Hockey – New England Division II Champions^[12]
• 2014 – Boys Crew – National Scholastic Championship Regatta Champions^[15]
• 2015 – Boys Hockey – Edward G. Watkins New Years Tournament Champion^[11]
• 2016 – Boys Hockey – New England Elite Eight Tournament Champion^[11]
• 2016 – Boys Lacrosse – WNESSLA Champions^[16]
• 2016 – Boys Lacrosse – Colonial Tournament Champions^[16]
• 2016 – Boys Football – New England Eight-Player Football Champions
• 2017 – Boys Hockey – Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic Champions^[11]
• 2018 – Boys Hockey – Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic Champions^[17]
• 2019 – Girls Cross Country NEPSTA DIII Cross Country Champions^[18]
• 2019 – Boys Crew – Beebe Cup Winner^[19]
• 2019 – Boys Crew – Du. Pont Cup Winner^[19]
• 2019 – Boys Crew – Head of the Riverfront Regatta, first place, junior 4+^[20]
• 2020 – Boys Hockey – NEPSAC Tournament Piatelli/Simmons (Small) Bracket Champion^[21]

Sports offered

Notable alumni

Gunnery Camp, called the first organized summer camp

• Gerald Warner Brace (1901–1978), writer, educator, sailor and boat builder
• Nick Collins 2002, Massachusetts State Senator
• Justin Dunn 2013, MLB pitcher^[22]
• Edsel Ford II 1968, director of Ford Motor Company
• George Grande 1964, sports broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds
• Andrew Lack 1964, film and television executive, former Chairman of NBC News
• Dick Lehr 1972, author, journalist, and professor of journalism at Boston University
• Kayla Meneghin (born 1994), ice hockey forward for the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League.^[23]
• Sam Posey 1962, racing driver and sports broadcast journalist
• James N. Rosenberg 1895, lawyer, humanitarian, artist and writer
• Jesse Soffer 2003, actor^[24]
• Jonathan Tisch 1972, CEO of Loews Hotels
• Steven Elliot Tisch 1968, Chairman/Executive Vice President of the New York Giants
• Dick Wolf 1965, creator of Law & Order

References

External links

• NEPSAC main page
• The Frederick Gunn School website