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Noble and Greenough School
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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 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.
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Encyclopedia
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 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 is also ranked the school with the best looking students in Massachusetts according to Boston Magazine. 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.
| Headmaster | Tenure | Events / Bio |
|---|
| 1. | George Washington Copp Noble | 1866-1920 | Founder of the school | | 2. | Charles Wiggins II | 1920-1943 | | | 3. | Eliot T. Putnam | 1943-1971 | Son-in-law of Charles Wiggins | | 4. | Edward "Ted" S. Gleason | 1971-1987 | School begins to admit girls | | 5. | Richard H. Baker | 1987-2000 | | | 6. | Robert P. Henderson | 2000-present | |
Facts
Noble & Greenough covers grades 7-12. Members of the twelfth grade are known as members of the First Class, on down to seventh grade students who are known as members of the Sixth Class, or more informally as "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 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 alumne 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, 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. Students also dine in a historic castle, designed by the architect Henry Hobson Richardson, who also designed Trinity Church in Boston.
The ten most popular colleges attended by graduates in the past five years are, in order, Brown, Boston College, Harvard, Bowdoin, Duke, Georgetown, Penn, Tufts, Princeton, and Middlebury.
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. 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, 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,
- Imani, a co-ed gospel group,
- Chamber Singers,
- Concert Choir, a group regularly numbering more than 80 students,
- Jazz Band,
- Blues Band,
- Drum Ensemble,
- String 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. 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 , Nobles' visual arts website. Additionally, the 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 French 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
During "X-Block", a time dedicated to student-run clubs and organizations, a variety of groups meet. X-Block occurs twice per week, on average. Many other organizations meet outside of school hours. Clubs and organizations at Nobles include:
- ABC, or the Alexandria Book Club,
- ACC, or the Asian Culture Club,
- AMC, or the Anime Manga Club,
- Brother 2 Brother, a support group for young men of color at Nobles,
- CAC, or Campuses Against Cancer,
- CHAMPIONS, or Chin Hair Association for Magnificent People Intent On Nobles Spirit,
- Chess Club,
- Community Service Board,
- Cooking Club,
- The Dawg Pound, a group to foster school spirit in community events,
- Debate Club,
- The Dharma Initiative, a group for die-hard fans of ABC's hit show LOST to discuss theories about its many mysteries,
- EAC, or Environmental Action Committee,
- Film Club,
- Fort Club, an all-boys club for encouraging the construction and habitation of elaborate tree lodges,
- French Club,
- GSA, or the Gay-Straight Alliance,
- IAA, or the Irish American Alliance
- IEC, or the Investment and Entrepreneurship Club,
- Mathematics Club,
- Microfinance Club, a club devoted to giving interest free loans to developing nations
- MSA, or the Multicultural Students Association,
- Mythbusters Club,
- The Nobleman, a student-run newspaper,
- The Nobles Theatre Collective,
- Outing Club,
- PHP, or the Peer Help Program,
- Sister to Sister, a female equivalent to "Brother 2 Brother",
- SLC, or the Student Life Council, an elected group of student leaders,
- STAT, or Students for the Treatment Of Aids Today
- Vegetarian Club, and of course
- The Rhymes with Ben Wellington Club, a prestigious club started graduation day '04 by Ben Wellington. The presidency was passed on to then freshman Ben Shellington who elected Mr. Alex Bellanton his vice-president on graduation day of '06. Before Ben Shellington was to graduate in '07 he passed the presidency to Ngina Shillingford since Mr. Alex Bellanton was leaving the academy at the termination of the '06-'07 year as well.
A variety of Middle School equivalent groups also meet regularly.
Traditions
Morning Assembly: Every morning Nobles 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. 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.
Prize Day: At the end of every school year students of the junior and senior class attend an award ceremony where distinguished students receive accolades from the departments and in other various areas. The day used to be held in the gym, but is now held in Lawrence Auditorium every year.
The Nobleman: The Nobleman is the school newspaper, run by members of the senior 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. This passage is guarded by hundreds of gnomes, intent on keeping it safe. The gnomes do not fear anything and will not hesitate to kill those who venture into their domain. The student who finds this passage, if he or she survives, 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 freshman 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.
Rivalry: The Noble and Greenough School has an ancient rivalry with Milton Academy (also a member of the ISL) which becomes most prominent every fall during Nobles/Milton Weekend. Every athletic team in each school plays each other on the same campus (alternating every year) creating a festive and heated environment. Students make videos every year to psyche up the school before the games. Body paint, drums, and other statements of school spirit are not unlikely. 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.
School Picture: The entire school takes a picture every year that is then put on the wall above the alcoves in Shattuck Schoolhouse. These pictures stretch all throughout the building and date back to the beginnings of the school. (Adorning the other side of the hall are graduation photos from every year). The picture is a panoramic style that requires the use of a special rotating camera. During the photo one first year middle school student is selected to run from one side of the photo to the other so that they occur twice (subtly) in the picture. Students are also fond of creating massive jokes for the picture, prompting the need to take two pictures every year. For instance, after the school was ranked by Boston Magazine as the best-looking school in the state students of the senior class concerted an effort to each hold up a letter of their retort. 1975 Nobles Dictionary: "School Picture: annual circus performed by 42 ringmasters, 339 clowns, and one trained dog."
Latin: 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. Therefore the students at Noble and Greenough studied primarily the classics. This is still reflected in the middle school where it is required to take Latin. During fire drills, it is tradition to save at least one Latin book from the classroom.
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. Projects often include internships, entrepreneurial enterprises, music, visual art, research, etc.
Graduation: After the graduation ceremony the faculty for a single continuous line and shake hands and say goodbye to every individual student.
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
- Kylie Gleason, class of 2008, figure ice skater
- Wycliffe Grousbeck, class of 1979, 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
- John F. Kennedy, attended lower school, President of the United States
- Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., attended lower school, brother of JFK and RFK
- 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, 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, Fmr. CEO of Constellation Energy
- Louis Agassiz Shaw, inventor of the iron lung, Harvard professor
- Courtney Sims, class of 2003, NBA Basketball player
- Chris Tierney, Professional soccer player, New England Revolution
- Steve Toubman, Coach and teacher at Nobles
- George Clapp Vaillant, anthropologist and author
- Dan Weinstein, class of 1999, Olympic speed skater
- Mr. Lif, Rap Artist
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