Taft School

For other places with the same name, see Taft High School (disambiguation).
The Taft School

Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret
Not to be served but to serve
Address
110 Woodbury Road
Watertown, Connecticut 06795
United States
Coordinates 41°36′16″N 73°7′27″W / 41.60444°N 73.12417°W / 41.60444; -73.12417Coordinates: 41°36′16″N 73°7′27″W / 41.60444°N 73.12417°W / 41.60444; -73.12417
Information
Type Private, Day & Boarding, College-prep
Established 1890
Headmaster William R. MacMullen
Faculty 124
Grades 9–12
Gender Co-ed
Enrollment 598 (2013)
Average class size 12
Student to teacher ratio 5:1
Campus 224 acres (0.91 km2)
Color(s)      Maroon
     Navy blue
Nickname Rhinos
Website taftschool.org

The Taft School is a private, coeducational school located in Watertown, Connecticut, United States. Approximately three-quarters of Taft's 596 students live on the school's 226-acre campus.

The Taft School was founded in 1890 by Horace Dutton Taft, brother of President William Howard Taft. The original campus was in Pelham Manor, New York; the school moved to Watertown two years later. In its 125-year history, Taft has had only five headmasters. William R. MacMullen, a 1978 graduate of Taft, has served as headmaster since 2001.

History

For a full look at the school's history, visit the Taft School website at www.taftschool.org. Notable moments in the history of Taft School:

1890: Horace Dutton Taft establishes the Taft school in Pelhem Manor, New York.

1891 The school colors are chosen to reflect the college choices of the first graduates: Harvard red and Yale blue.

1893 Mr. Taft's school moves to a former hotel, The Warren House, in Watertown, CT.

1912 Horace Taft incorporates the school, retaining five-sixths ownership, and giving the rest to school master Harley Fish Roberts.

1914 Horace Dutton Taft (HDT) Hall is constructed. It remains the heart of the campus today.

1923 The first issue of Taft's alumni magazine, the "Bulletin," is published by Spencer Gross, John Gross, and Dr. M. Heminway Merriman.

1927 Mr.Taft and Mr. Roberts make Taft a non-profit institution, turning it over to a 15-member Board of Trustees, which included former president and Chief Justice William Howard Taft and five alumni.

1930 Construction of Charles Phelp Taft (CPT) Hall is completed, allowing for expansion of the student body, the library, and other arts and academic spaces.

1928 The Warren House, Taft's first home in Watertown, is demolished.

1936 Horace Dutton Taft retires. He is succeeded by Paul Cruikshank.

1943 Horace Dutton Taft dies. The phrase "I pledge my honor..." becomes a daily commitment Taft students apply to their academic work.

1950 Mays Hockey Rink is built. Using student labor, it is the first artificial rink in prep school circles.

1961 A new Science Center opens to mark the school's 70th anniversary.

1963 Art Teacher Sabra Field Johnson becomes Taft's first female faculty member; John Cushing Esty is named Taft's third headmaster.

1964 Esty establishes Taft's Independent Studies Program. It is one of the first in the nation, and remains the longest continuously run program of its kind.

1967 Taft purchases its first computer-- a Program Data Processor, 50 students joined the Computer Club and had lectures on FORTRAN (Formula Translation).

1969 The Hulbert Taft, Jr. Library is complete; students spend five hours carrying nearly 25,000 books to their new home.

1971 Taft admits female students for the first time.

1972 Lance Rue Odden is called to be the fourth headmaster of Taft.

1976 Science teacher Ed North launches the Taft Education Center, a summer workshop for public and private school teachers. Today the TEC is the largely Advanced Placement Institute New England.

1985 The Arts and Humanity Center is created.

1990 The Rhino is officially introduced as school mascot.

1995 Taft launches its first all-school Community Service Day, now an annual October tradition.

2001 Odden Hockey Arena is built to honor of the retiring headmaster and his wife Patsy. William Ramsay MacMullen '78, is named fifth headmaster of Taft.

2015 Taft School marks its 125th anniversary of founding.

Campus and facilities

The campus is located in Watertown, Connecticut, and is approximately 226 acres (0.91 km2) in size. It includes The Lady Ivy Kwok Wu Science and Mathematics Center, Pinto Language Lab, Moorhead Academic Center, Hulbert Taft, Jr. Library, Belcher Reading Room, Mortara Academic Wing, Pailey Dance Studio, Tremaine Art Studio, Gail Wynne Art Studio, Potter Gallery, two theaters, an 18-hole golf course, 16 tennis courts (four indoor), 8 squash courts, 2 fieldhouses, 2 ice hockey rinks, (1 Olympic sized and 1 NHL sized), and more than 10 fields, all situated around Potters Pond.[1]

Students

Taft students come from across the globe. While exact numbers vary slightly from year to year, a typical student body hails from more than 40 different countries and more than 30 US states. The school community includes students in 9th through 12th grades, as well as post-graduates (PGs). Approximately 34% of Taft students share in more than $7.7 million in financial aid. All awards are based on need only; there are no merit-based scholarships.

Faculty

The student-faculty ratio at Taft is 11-1. Three-quarters of the faculty hold advanced degrees (master's or doctorates). The majority of the Taft faculty live on campus, in both private houses surrounding the grounds, or in apartments in the dorms.

Academics

There are more than 200 academic courses offered at the Taft School. The average class consists of 11 students.[2] Advanced Placement Program courses are offered in 29 subjects,[2] including Mandarin Chinese, Spanish Literature, Spanish Language, French Literature, French Language, Latin, European History, American History, American Government, AB and BC Calculus, Statistics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Environmental Science, Studio Art, Music Theory, Art History, English Literature, Economics, and Computer Science. 90% of graduates take one or more AP exams with an average score of 4 out of a possible 5. Taft is a member school of the Global Online Academy. The class of 2014 had mean SAT Reasoning Test scores of 633 (critical reading), 653 (math), and 652 (writing).[2]

Athletics

Taft's athletic teams are known as the Rhinos and their colors are maroon and navy blue. The following sports are offered at Taft:[3]

  • Baseball (boys)
  • Basketball (boys & girls)
  • Crew (boys & girls)
  • Cross country (boys & girls)
  • Equestrian (boys & girls)
  • Field Hockey (girls)
  • Football (boys)
  • Golf (boys & girls)
  • Ice hockey (boys & girls)
  • Lacrosse (boys & girls)
  • Skiing (boys & girls)
  • Soccer (boys & girls)
  • Softball (girls)
  • Squash (boys & girls)
  • Tennis (boys & girls)
  • Track (boys & girls)
  • Volleyball (girls)
  • Wrestling (boys)

Taft is part of the Hotchkiss-Taft rivalry.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ About The Taft School
  2. 1 2 3 Taft Facts
  3. ↑ "Taft Sports". www.taftschool.org. THE TAFT SCHOOL. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
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